The staff were very friendly and helpful. The kitchen is amazing, the best for a backpacker I’ve ever encountered, it was still a work in progress but it looks like it’s going the right direction. Also not the fault of the hostel but one of the sinks was full of dirty pots and pans and had been left there over the hour we’ve been cooking and eating. Maybe it would be helpful to have some instructions at checkin or signs in the kitchen to remind people to be considerate of other customers sharing the premises. The lounge area is great too and nice place to chill with plenty of sofas, tables, chairs and bean bags. The location is excellent with many of the main point of interest in Christchurch within 15-20mins walk.

It is a bit hard to navigate at the beginning and you can get lost if you don’t have a good sense of directions. There are no elevator so it can be difficult if you have a lot of luggage or heavy ones. Being in the city center it can get noisy but not as bad as bigger cities. The seagulls were more noisy than the rare drunkard or noisy group of people passing by.

We had a great stay at Urbanz! Our private room was warm and cosy — just what we needed after arriving off an overnight flight. The staff were incredibly accommodating and let us check in at 8 AM, which was such a lifesaver. The bathrooms were always clean, and we were so grateful for the laundry service — just $10 to have a load washed, dried, and returned to our room! The common areas were also lovely, with a welcoming vibe that made it easy to relax. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a comfortable, well-run place to stay in Christchurch.

Nothing

This hostel is absolutely amazing! Staff super nice and it is so clean they must be putting so much effort in that ! There was someone cleaning pretty much all the time! The kitchen is beautiful and so well organized, someone actually checks all the fridges and shelves daily for leftover food so nothing molds around. Then there are activities every day. The hostel is effortlessly social since there are just so many nice areas to hang out. The location is also absolutely perfect, next to a skate park and a nice cafe but in a calm area 5 min walk to the city center. They pay so much attention to detail it’s simply amazing! (Speaking as an ex hotel manager) Loved it, hope the staff gets paid well cause they are doing extraordinary work!

Staff are awesome, friendly, helpful people and not full of themselves (*cough cough* Drifters). Shared spaces are decent. Nice large lockers in the dorms. Great location. Good value by insane NZ price standards.

There are a lot of facilities but some of them were broken (plumbing etc). But there are plenty more. I think it must be difficult to keep on top of all maintenance. It seemed really easy to lock myself out of my room by forgetting my card. I didn't but I worried! Not sure what they can really do about that though. They didn't respond to my booking requests/questions through booking.com.

Urbanz was a great spot to stay for my 3 nights in Christchurch. The top bunk was comfy. Could cook my food and store with adequate fridge storage. Need to take your own tupperware boxes though if you want to store food. Very central location right by the famous tram. The staff were very helpful and friendly. Nice big lounge area with TV and board games

Great to have a kitchen space but only certain pans go on the plug in stove tops until someone told me i did not know why it would not work. You need to take your own padlock for the room locker. Some people used pans for storage of food in fridge.

I booked a private room with no window but was put in a room with a window. Bed and linens were very comfortable. Small closet for storing items. Nice hot water in showers, multiple showers and toilets. Staff carried my heavy rolling duffle bag to my room for me. Place was close to numerous restaurants, about 10 min walk from bus station. I was able to store my luggage there after checkout until time to catch the bus to my next town

I asked for a room in a quiet area but my room faced a busy noisy parking lot. There was no place in the room to attach my pacsafe, only second time I have had that problem. Kitchen was large but very busy with loud guests so I did not cook there. Several guests were loud in hallway after 2300.

The kitchen was very well equipped with dining area. There is a lounge/cinema area, games room which is excellent. We were invited to watch a film on our night of arrival. There is a laundry service if needed and the location is fantastic if you are using buses. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Overall rooms were warm and comfortable.

There is no lift, so you need to be able to carry your luggage upstairs. The staff member on duty helped me carry my suitcase up, which I really appreciated.

Very quick check in, excellent location door to door on bus from airport. We booked a private room with double bed (no windows, shared facilities). The room was small but had everything we needed. We didn’t use cooking facilities but they looked very impressive, better than any other hostels I’ve seen!

Room had a musty smell to it, needs better ventilation. Not soundproof at all. Could hear other people’s conversations in room beside us. Other guests were very inconsiderate shouting and laughing in hallways at 3AM.

The main advantage for me was the central location - it's basically located in the city center, and it's convenient to get wherever you need from there (as it's near the bus interchange). The room was basic but clean. The shared facilities were good. The staff was very kind and helpful. You can store your luggage for free.

It is a backpacker hostel, so it tends to be a bit crowded and noisy in the evening. While it is relatively inexpensive, do note that you could get much better ensuite private rooms for an extra 15-30 NZD, so it could be better in terms of value for money.

One of the highlights of Urbanz is the large community kitchen. It’s incredibly well-equipped, making it easy to prepare your own meals and enjoy a home-cooked meal even while traveling. The extremely comfortable lobby and lounging area are perfect for relaxing, working, or simply unwinding after a day of exploring the city. These communal spaces really enhance the overall experience. An added bonus is the ability to use the facilities even after check-out. This convenience allowed me to store my luggage and freshen up before my late departure, which made my travel day much more comfortable. Despite the central location, the price is very affordable, offering excellent value for the quality and amenities provided.

However, there are a couple of areas for improvement. The cleanliness of the bathrooms and the rooms could be better maintained, and the locks on the room doors could be more secure.