Chester Street Backpackers

Chester Street Backpackers billsitself as a cosy place to rejuvenate, which is exactly what it is -- no more and definitely no less. They have a cottage to rent -- which is where we stayed -- as well as a main hostel building. If they run out of the room in the main building, they tend to house you in the cottage, which is no bad thing.

The Location

The hostel is no more than a ten-minute walk from the CBD of Christchurch. The neighbourhood seems fairly quiet and even though it is relatively close to one of Christchurch's larger roads, you cannot hear this from the hostel. There is plenty of on-street car parking available and the neighbourhood is safe.

Rooms and Bathrooms

The cottage is self-contained, with two double bedrooms, a lounge/dining room, bathroom, and kitchen. Both bedrooms are fairly spacious for backpackers and the beds are fitted with electric blankets. These would only need to be used on the coldest of nights as the cottage is double-glazed and warm. One of the bedrooms is accessed by sliding doors off the lounge, but comes with a privacy curtain.

The bathroom is fairly small and houses the only shower and toilet. The shower is fairly weedy and hard to control, but the room is clean with room to hang towels and clothes. The common space is very spacious with TV/DVD and small DVD library. There is also a small but handy book library and plenty of information on the local area.

Summary

This cottage annex of the hostel is probably best rented by a self-contained group of two to four people who are looking to recharge their batteries after a long-flight to New Zealand -- we used it for exactly this purpose and it was perfect. The cottage is well-equipped, warm, and well-located. The staff in the main bit of the hostel are helpful and a good source of local knowledge.

— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
June 2008