Okains Bay accommodation from NZ$81

Enjoyed our stay, very clean and staff friendly and helpful. Easy walk into central Christchurch

I didn't realize it was a hostel with I booked. No problems with hostels - I've stayed at them before. I was just surprised to find this was considered a "hybrid" hotel/hostel. In my 3 weeks travel through NZ, Drifter was the only place that required a passport for us to check in. It was odd. The other patrons in line were also puzzled, but it was done. The room was a standard hotel room with bed, window, place to hang some clothing (bring your own hangers), a bathroom, and coffee station. We were at the top floor, so our ceiling height was really tall. Odd things: The towel bars were behind the doors. So if you washed your hands, you had to step away from the sink, and close the bathroom door to get to the towel, or after the shower, you had to step outside the shower, and close the shower door so you can get to the bath towel. No microwave or mini fridge - you had to go to the common space if you wanted to make popcorn or store foods. Super busy common area, even on off meal hours. The common space also had pool tables and lounges with the kitchen area. In all, Drifter was new, clean, and comfortable. It definitely caters to young adults.

It's a place that had a hip vibe in the lobby and a fantastic deal for the all you can eat breakfast (pay extra). The location is great in downtown and very near to the bus station. We got a room with a view/window, and had to laugh since the window was about 3ft x 4ft. We ended up keeping the blinds down since other rooms were adjacent to our windows, and we could wave at our neighbors and see more details than we wanted. The bed was comfortable and the temperature was comfortable as well. Large TV. The place you hang your coat at is immediately above the coffee station. After I hung my coat, I looked at it and realized that it wasn't great since it now covered the kettle, cups, etc. Be careful when you remove your coat, as it might snag the cups. The table it's self was tired and worn. It had moisture bubbles and chips on the edges that were painted over. The walls were thin. I could hear the showers and toilets of our neighbor. The bathroom was tight for my 6ft husband (wide shoulders) to be on the toilet. But for me, at 5ft, I was fine. The shower space was comfortable. As long as we kept the bathroom door open (which slides along an arch), the bathroom was fine. The staff was super friendly with ready smiles. The all you can eat breakfast was an awesome deal. Pastries, fruit, grain cereal, pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, baked beans, mushrooms, hashbrowns, tomatoes, yogurt, milk, juice, coffee, tea, breads, and spreads. In all, I'd return.