ibis Christchurch

I stayed on my own as an older woman and wouldn’t hesitate to return. It’s handy for shops and restaurants, and a good base for exploring the area. The location is great, the service was outstanding, and the friendly staff keep the rooms clean and comfortable. There was decent food too. A few interesting characters were around, but I had no real concerns. With the various discounts, it was excellent value, and a perfect Ibis experience.

Breakfast was excellent and high quality, and I really liked it. The reception staff were clear, excellent, and cooperative, which left us very pleased. We booked rooms for two nights. Mine was very large and had all the amenities, and the bathroom was clean and tidy. I drove there but wasn’t given a parking space, so I used the public lot across the street and paid for it.

Breakfast was a highlight, with a good selection for the extra cost and really good value. The location is nice and the price was good, but the rooms are small and feel a bit dated. They only provide body wash, no shampoo, which seemed like cost cutting. I’d made a booking for the wrong date by mistake and was happy to pay the difference to move it one day forward. It took eight phone calls and four days to sort out, though, and the difference came to just $5. A simple change felt unnecessarily difficult and stressful.

The hotel team did their best to help guests, and I appreciated that. Still, as a longtime Accor customer, I found this Ibis Christchurch stay disappointing, and so did other guests. The room was too cold, and the aircon blew cold air unless set to a maximum of 30 degrees. Both lifts were out, which made staying on level 7 difficult, especially with luggage. On my last day, I got stuck in the small lift with five other people and our luggage while going down. We waited for the Fire Brigade to rescue us, and I was late for a work meeting, as were others in the lift. Other guests told me the lifts get stuck regularly and need professional repair. That’s a safety issue the hotel management needs to address urgently.