Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square

Anita Nicholls

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August 01, 2026

We booked the executive king room on the top floor. The bed was really comfy and the shower was great. However, whoever designs these rooms obviously never stays in a hotel. You cannot turn off the fan in the bathroom. It's quite loud and kept us awake a lot at night. The shower and toilet are behind a glass door. The sink and mirror, which is on a fold away partition, are out in the main room, which is a bit weird. Room was comfy but I was glad I hadn't booked it to get ready for a function or anything dressy. There was no natural light in there to do make up and no space or long mirror to get ready. Luckily, I was just staying to explore the area so I didnt need to dress up. There's a chaise in the room, but if there's two of you, it's the only place to store your clothes so you cant sit on it 😂 There is a wardrobe next to the sink, but it didnt have any space in it. All in all, a comfy stay in a great location, with a nice restaurant and bar....if only you could turn that damn fan off!!!

Clemjey

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June 07, 2026

We had a very comfortable stay at Novotel Cathedral Square as a family of 4. The location is excellent for exploring the city but navigating the approach to the hotel's tie up parking was tricky and this was the only downside. The staff were consistently friendly and helpful. The rooms were comfortable and well-suited for our family and the breakfast offered a good variety of options to start the day. Overall, this is a good family-friendly option for a short stay in central Christchurch and we would happily stay here again.

Rana Family

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August 02, 2026

Very disappointing stay - No flexibility and poor attention to detail - Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square Due to an airline schedule change that was completely outside of our control, our onward flight was brought forward from 31 July to 30 July. As a result, we politely requested to shorten our stay from two nights to one night and receive a refund for the unused night. This was not a change of mind or a voluntary cancellation. The airline acknowledged the disruption, rebooked our flight, and even provided accommodation at our next destination. We explained this in detail, contacted the hotel well in advance, sent multiple emails, and followed up through the Booking.com messaging portal. Despite this, the hotel refused to show any flexibility or goodwill, relying solely on the "non-refundable" policy. Booking.com also advised that the hotel had the discretion to approve the amendment, but they chose not to assist. As an international hotel chain, I expected a more customer-focused and compassionate approach, especially when the room could likely have been resold. Unfortunately, the issues continued during our stay as well: 1. Shower cabin leaking: Water was constantly leaking from the shower cabin onto the bathroom floor, making it messy and unsafe, especially with 2 kids. 2. No basic amenities: Despite requesting, no hotel slippers were provided. 3. Unfair parking charges: We were charged extra for parking for just slightly crossing the 24-hour period. For a small overstay of a few minutes, deducting a full extra charge felt unnecessary and opportunistic. 4. Inadequate toiletries: The shampoo and body soap bottles were not sufficiently filled, which is not acceptable considering we were a family of 2 adults and 2 kids staying in the room. The staff remained polite in their responses, but there was no practical effort to help or reach a fair solution, either for the booking amendment or for the in-stay issues. We lost the cost of an entire night's accommodation due to circumstances beyond our control and had a below-average stay for the night we did stay. This experience has left our family very disappointed, and I hope the hotel reviews its approach to genuine cases where guests are impacted by airline schedule changes and also improves its basic room maintenance and guest service.

Majo Bidegain

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August 16, 2026

I was only there for a two-day workshop. I used a meeting room and some facilities. The meeting room was really nice and well equipped with a screen and comfortable chairs. With the door closed, we couldn't hear any noise from outside, and the bathroom was really clean. We were provided with morning tea and water. The food at lunch was spectacular!

Elaine Wong

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July 20, 2026

The hotel's location is excellent, having the ability to walk everywhere & a great view of the cathedral ruins. One is not far from the tram lines that zip in and out around the city so for a day, it's worth paying the fare. Rooms are snug but functional with comfortable beds. However noise travels between floors, so not that sound proof. There is a wide choice for the breakfast buffet; a great way to kick start your morning without looking about for breakfast. Major bonus is that staff go out of their way to assist.