Fantastic location in a beautiful old campus close to the CBD and restaurants. Comfortable beds with good choice of pillows, great bathroom with quality amenities and lots of fluffy towels, and very good selection of teas and coffees. There’s a charming eatery in the grounds which serves a great eggs Benedict, as well as an arts precinct, a museum, and cellar door/wine bar. There’s also a lovely lounge/reading area for meeting friends and the corridors are lined with local art works. Overall a very cosy and unique property.

There was very minimal space for clothes and the room was quite small.

The hotel is amazing and such a wonderful stay. One can enjoy gazing out the tall windows and walking around the complex, staring at the architecture. The bed was very comfortable, with great pillows. It felt luxurious and I slept well. Next time I book a stay, I will book for longer, because it was difficult to leave. There are so many amenities in the hotel and nearby - - with the cinema just across the quad and other interesting places so near, and tram stops around the corner. The interior of the hotel, which is inviting and less of a busy atmosphere but now more like a large, well-appointed mansion. Can't forget about the botanical gardens across the street!!!

There was very little to dislike, and not worth mentioning.

Lovely setting amongst the Arts Centre. Close to the botanical gardens, short walk to the restaurants in the city centre. Furnishing of the lounge with free coffee and tea was wonderful. Service was fine, but a little lacking in providing specific advice such as great restaurants to try. We were simply told to refer to the folder. Our room did have a strange smell on a couple of days and the bed and pillows weren’t the most comfortable we felt. It did have the amenities one would need when travelling such as ironing board, hairdryer, safe and fridge. But no water was provided.

You could not find a better location in Christchurch. It would be very doable to spend the entire day at the Arts Centre, which surrounds the hotel. There was a lovely wine bar, two great cafes, galleries, museum, library, and a stellar independent movie theatre. The botanical garden is across the street, with the Avon winding thru it. The hotel itself has a large, high-ceilinged sitting room, with 24/7 coffee & tea, as well as lots of seating, interesting books etc. They really spared no expense in the common area. The rooms are not over-large, but have high ceilings and large windows. We would happily stay here again.

The breakfast was a very light continental affair. It wasn't really very tempting, so we did not pay for it. The first room we were offered had windows which could not open, but we were able to switch.

Beautifully appointed and located in the historic Christchurch Arts Centre, the Observatory Hotel is our go-to hotel in CHC. Immediately adjacent to lovely Hagley Park and the Avon River, and just 6 minutes' walk to the CBD makes this quiet, handsome, well-run hotel the pick of those in-the-know. As part of the Arts Centre complex you'll find an award-winning cinema, a fantastic wine-bar (make reservations!) with great food, well-curated shopping, and an array of arts events throughout the year. Unique (in a really good way) accommodation with caring staff and inviting rooms and common areas.

This is a beautiful old building in the Arts Centre. The location is excellent, the rooms are tastefully decorated in restful colours. The lounge area is a lovely place to have a cuppa at any time. Wonderful welcome to the hotel and shown to the room was a nice touch.

The fact that guests are inducted on arrival into how the shower controls work, and these instructions are laminated in the room, does indicate perhaps these shower fittings (whilst looking beautiful) may not have been the best choice. That said, if you can get your head around the instructions it works fine.

The property location was great. A short walk into the CBD with a lot of restaurants and shops. The staff were very friendly and insightful with suggestions of what to do and where to visit, providing a couple of hidden gems that some tourists tend to overlook.

Whilst the rooms were very nice and spacious, my only disappointment was the pressure of the water in the shower, it, unfortunately, reminded me of my shower back in the UK with limited pressure. I appreciate this is a personal preference, but considering I camped at campsites for 12 days with significantly stronger water pressure, I would expect a hotel to have similar water pressure in their showers.

It is at an excellent location. I could only wish I had booked a few more nights so that I could walk around to explore the neighborhood. The building and the overall atmosphere feels very historic. Given the crazy inflation in the states for hotels, the price for this hotel is very modest.

I wish it could provide better on-site breakfast. Although there are cafes within walking distance, the hotel itself doesn't provide a good breakfast.

Very comfy bed, nice tea and coffee, very peaceful, great location by the botanical gardens with plenty of art galleries and restaurants nearby

For the most part was lovely. Took me a while to figure out how to get the shower really hot (after 2 lukewarm ones), most of the staff were very nice, one lady working in the evening was less patient and accommodating than the others when i asked about checking out early.

Every experience at the Observatory was fantastic. The reception by staff was perfect. The historical building is a treasure to explore yet modern and super comfortable to stay in. We were able to walk through the botanical gardens just across the road and there were several cafes at the location to choose from. The tram stop is just outside the arts centre and was easy to jump on and travel around Christchurch with a tour guide. We would stay at the observatory again if and when in Christchurch.