Christchurch Motels Open For Business

ByNew Zealand Travel Insider

Learn which Christchurch motels near the city center are currently open for business and can accommodate you if you have a trip planned or are planning a trip to Christchurch New Zealand. Also learn what motel owners have reported to me about the conditions in Christchurch after the earthquake.

Update 24 February 2011: Because I have noticed many people looking for a list of motels that have been damaged in the recent Christchurch earthquake, I wanted to point out that this article refers to the motels that were open for business after the September 2010 earthquake and *not* after the February 2011 earthquake. Please inquire directly with the motel of your choice to see whether they were damaged or not.

“To go or not to go to Christchurch”; that’s on the minds of many travelers who have planned trips to Christchurch, New Zealand.

Because the same question – to go or not to go – was also on my mind, I first asked someone I trust and who lives and works in Christchurch what the current situation is like.

Roma on Riccarton

The first thing she told me was that she was in Queenstown when the earthquake took place, and that she felt it all the way in Queenstown.

The second thing she told me was that she did not have any issues whatsoever driving back from Queenstown to Christchurch, and that the roads were open.

The third thing she told me was that the media is painting a very negative picture of the city. It is mostly older buildings that have been damaged by the earthquake and that most of the city is fine.

The only thing that currently have people “on the edge” are the aftershocks. By the way, if you want to know when and how often those aftershocks are still taking place, visit the GeoNet web site, and give yourself some peace of mind.

Ashleigh Court Motel

And the last thing she told me was not to cancel my trip and to just visit Christchurch, because the daffodils are in bloom and the rest of the flowers were soon to come out.

Then I turned to motel owners near the city center and in particular of Christchurch motels around Hagley Park to ask them whether they were open for business and to compile a list of motels that you can make a reservation with if you also want to visit Christchurch.

From the motel owners who replied, a few said that they had not had any damage, while others only replied to say that they were open for business. Since being “open for business” does not mean having “no damage”, I’ve split the Christchurch motels into two lists…

Lorenzo Motor Lodge

Here’s the list of motels in Christchurch that confirmed they are open for business and have had no damage:

  • Roma on Riccarton, 38 Riccarton Road, Christchurch
  • Bellagio Motel Suites, 77 Bealey Avenue, Christchurch
  • Ashleigh Court Motel, 47 Matai Street West, Christchurch
  • Lorenzo Motor Lodge, 36 Riccarton Road, Christchurch
  • Ashford Motor Lodge, 35 Papanui Road, Christchurch
  • Antonio’s Motor Lodge, 46 Riccarton Road, Christchurch

Here’s the list of motels in Christchurch that only confirmed they are open for business:

  • Merivale Manor, 122 Papanui Road, Christchurch
  • Towers on the Park, Cnr Deans Avenue & Kilmarnock Street, Christchurch
Ashford Motor Lodge

A few motel owners were kind enough to provide additional information such as:

  • Riccarton motels have had little to no damage.
  • The flowers are out in Hagley Park, so spring has definitely begun in Christchurch.
  • Most of the restaurants and cafes in the city center are fully operational.
  • Mostly older and taller buildings were affected by the earthquake.
  • There are no services unavailable in Christchurch.
  • Business has been good with people from outside of Christchurch coming in to help and staying at motels.

From reading the replies I’ve received, I’ll probably be making a reservation with one of the motels in Riccarton, since most of them have reported to have had no damage.

Merivale Manor

One final advice: If you are booking accommodation yourself (like I always do), do not use booking web sites at this time, but rather send an email to the motel before making a reservation. Hotel reservation websites generally run on autopilot and probably have not taken the earthquake into consideration.

Have a good trip to Christchurch if you do decide to go. I’ll be heading there myself soon; spring does not wait!

Note: This article was accurate when it was published. Please confirm all details
directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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