LyLo Christchurch — Hotel in Christchurch

I stayed with a friend at the Lylo a few weeks ago and we had an alright time, for those who are going to be picking up a camper from Christchurch for a round trip I couldn’t recommend this hostel more as the free food section (drawers under the sink, free food table and refrigerated free food shelf) and free stuff section is unmatched. We managed to grab blankets, torches, camper chairs, seasonings, food, a cooler, it was really convenient. The lounge area is also really cool and comfortable which is nice, a large space too. However, the pods we slept in in the all-girls were fairly dirty, marks on the walls and after a few nights of thinking i had a bad mattress i realised there was a large plastic bolt that was supposed to be on the wall under it. There was also bits of rubbish under there as well. There weren’t any signs of how to use the bar on the wall of your pod to turn on your lights and turns out mine was installed upside down which was why it was backwards from how they told me at reception when I asked, the lights on the panel being so dim you can’t see anything on it. There also wasn’t very much floor space in terms of anything that didn’t fit in the lockers under the bed that wouldn’t have been in the way of other people. When we first came we were very early to check in, we ended up arriving at 9am off our flight so sat in the lobby for a few hours. We watched the receptionist put a ‘will be back in 30 mins- staff meeting’ sign on the desk, then disappear for an hour. The same thing happened when we checked out at 10am two days later, (I had to wait in the lobby as the hostel didn’t have a luggage room and we weren’t allowed to leave bags unattended whilst my mate picked up our van) the receptionist put the same sign on the desk and disappeared for at least an hour, we left before she was back. Because of this all the late checkout people started queueing up because the tablet wasn’t working and it wasn’t clear what they should do with their keys, some stayed for 15mjns, some stayed for 45mins. One man even went behind the reception desk to call a cab for himself as he didn’t have a phone and there was nobody there to do it for him. Just seems a bit silly to have a staff meeting the receptionist needs to be at at check-out time, probably the busiest time for them. Honestly I thought this was funny more than anything else. I’ve included a vid below for your own enjoyment. If you’re looking for a location close to the airport, it’s really convenient, if you want a bit more of a party vibe I would probably pick somewhere closer to the cbd, it’s a bit far out. All in all, a pretty decent choice for a hostel if you’re just looking for something standard for a flight layover, apart from that doesn’t really have much...

Stayed her for 4 nights spread over a week, I had planned a spontaneous trip to NZ and was just looking for something convenient and cheap. The novelty of staying in a pod sounded cool at the time also, however after my first night I can see why these hostels should only be for one night maximum two. The pod itself is getting old, the privacy screen is a curtain which does almost nothing for sound insulation or actual privacy. The USB port doesn’t work, ventilation inside the pod was dirty and so loud it would annoy others in the room if I had it on. Others have noted there is nowhere to store your luggage which I expected, lockers are available for hire however they’re a bit pricey even for a hostel. I didn’t have an issue with the showers or bathrooms, if you expect it to be what it is you won’t be disappointed however don’t expect much more. It’s very close to Countdown for groceries, some nearby restaurants that provide variety, right next to the airport (which can also be a con, airplanes taking off throughout the night aren’t fun to wake up to) and the bus into the city centre only takes 20 minutes or so. The social lobby area is kept OK, most travellers aren’t too social during my stay so I didn’t get to experience much of that. The kitchen and equipment is minimal, hot water tap doesn’t work so everyone relies on a single electric kettle. Most people do their dishes, some don’t and there isn’t much enforcement to that either. Stay for a night and move on, solo travellers like myself will find it ok for maximum a couple of nights. Glad it was available for my short stay though, will I come back? Maybe for one night before I catch my flight, longer? Most likely no They also have no control over people’s personal hygiene as well, so the first night I stayed in a room with pretty bad B.O. what can...

We stayed at Lylo twice on our South Island road trip. The hotel's location was the major decider both times.

We rented a motorhome and it so happens that the rental company provides a free transfer to/from Lylo. On arrival the friendly gentleman at reception was helpful and check in was done quicker than Superman can change into his tights. Room is small but no complaints as it was just for a night.

Food options nearby aren't particularly interesting, so we settled for fast food across the road. If you prefer to cook, there's a well stocked supermarket next door and a fully equipped kitchen in the communal space where meals can be taken too.

We returned to Lylo on the eve of our 3am flight home for obvious reasons. The airport is near enough that we can walk there even with heavy luggage in tow. At a snail's pace, I think the walk took us around 15 to 20mins. But the cold was biting especially when the wind picked up. So if you're planning to walk, dress for the weather.

Our first room was on the ground level facing the carpark. That means blinds down and windows closed otherwise there'd be no privacy. But we got a second floor room on our return stay. The upper floor room is better because with the blinds up we get light coming in and a view (not a fancy view but it's better than staring at walls). Plus we can open the window for ventilation if we needed to. If you're worried about jet noises, we didn't hear any because windows are doubled glazed and sound proofing was excellent. But sound proofing between rooms is not as good so people next door can hear if you talk loudly.

Overall, we think Lylo offers good value and we wouldn't hesitate to stay here again if we come to...