This bed and breakfast is located immediately east of Hagley Park, right between the Canterbury Museum and the Christchurch Art Gallery. It is a superb location for visiting the city.
The building is two stories, and has four classes of room. We stayed in a first-floor, basic, “corporate” room for two nights. It had a queen-sized bed, two night stands, an armoire, and a small desk. A small, flat-screen television was mounted to the wall. The en suite bathroom had a sink, toilet, shower. The ceiling was high, perhaps 14-feet. It was clean, well-furnished, and well-maintained.
Our impression of the room was generally positive, with two exceptions. First, the “corporate” room was smaller than expected, with little room to spread out; we would reserve a “deluxe” room if we stayed here again. Second was noise. We heard doors closing in other rooms, and noise from the common hallway. The guests were generally quiet, which minimized the annoyance.
The owners live on the property. This is always a concern for us, as owners can be intrusive. To their credit, the Classic Villa’s owners strike the right balance between their availability and guest privacy.
The breakfast that came with the room was impressive. It had a wide selection of food: fresh fruit, sliced tomatoes, several juices, cheeses, yogurt, cereals, salmon, pastries, coffee, tea, boiled eggs, meats, and more. The meal itself offset much of the cost of the room.
As to cost, our “corporate” room was NZ $201.70 per night, booked through Agoda. That’s roughly US $150 per night, which appears to be exceptional for an accommodation of this quality in Christchurch. On the hotel’s website, the cost of other classes of room ranges from NZ $335 to NZ$499 per night (you might be able to get a better price on other booking sites).
A month after staying at the Classic Villa, we returned to Christchurch. This time, we stayed at a nearby, highly-rated, five-star hotel — and we quickly wished we were back at the Classic Villa. Its location was better, its price was less, and its rooms were every bit as good.
The Classic Villa is a good Christchurch accommodation. We would stay here again.