Southern Comfort Motel

Last month, my family of four booked two nights. Before we arrived, the motel charged $100 to my credit card, then later called it a cancellation fee. When we got there, they charged the full stay as well, despite already taking that $100. I noticed the next day and was told it would be refunded to my card that day. A week went by and nothing had come through. I emailed, and they blamed the bank. I sent three more emails asking why they charged a cancellation fee and then the full amount on top, and got no answers at all. The worst customer service. I'd never recommend this motel to anyone.

Our stay at Southern Comfort felt like constantly walking on eggshells. Management seemed to treat us like criminals instead of paying guests. The room was advertised as having a full kitchen setup, but we felt as though we weren't allowed to use it. Then we were accused of stealing a teaspoon and glasses. It was insulting and baseless, and left us feeling harassed. A teaspoon, seriously. The surveillance and management style felt like a scam to find excuses to charge extra fees. This place is a disgrace to Christchurch tourism. Stay somewhere else, anywhere the owners understand basic hospitality. If I could give it zero stars, I would. I honestly don't understand how it's allowed to operate in New Zealand.

My recent stay at the motel was disappointing. They took extra money from my bond without telling me about the charges in advance or giving a satisfactory explanation when I asked. Some of my clothes were also damaged and bleached, leaving me with a personal loss and inconvenience. I believe the extra charges and bond deduction were unfair and unreasonable. The way my concerns were handled lacked professionalism, transparency, and customer care. I expect fair treatment and clear communication from accommodation providers, and this experience didn't meet those basic standards. I request a proper review of the charges and a refund of the unfairly deducted amount. I hope management takes this complaint seriously and improves the service for future guests.

We've stayed at this motel twice. The rooms are really nice and roomy, but staff could do a better job cleaning. The window sills still had fly dirt, the pillowcases needed changing, and the towels were thin and had holes. A clean bath mat would've been good too. Luckily I'd brought my own towels this time. We also didn't like having to pay a $100 damage deposit.