Southwark Hotel & Apartments
by the TopOfHotel team
A clean, well-priced apart-hotel where the free Netflix and full kitchen in every room earn their keep on stays of three nights or more.
A clean, well-priced apart-hotel where the free Netflix and full kitchen in every room earn their keep on stays of three nights or more.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Southwark Hotel & Apartments is a solid apart-hotel pick for travellers who want privacy, a kitchen and free Netflix in every room without paying full CBD rates. The line-up splits into compact studios and larger apartments. Every room gets free Netflix on a Smart TV, fast unlimited Wi-Fi, a heat pump (a handful of compact studios aside), and either a kitchenette or a full kitchen depending on the room type. Some rooms come with a balcony looking over the city. A February 2026 guest summed up the experience plainly: "The room was nice, clean, and comfortable."
Food and amenities
There's no restaurant, and that's the point — you cook. Rooms with a kitchen or kitchenette cover most needs, and a communal kitchen with an oven, electric stove, dining table and a shared sofa handles the rest, making it genuinely useful for anyone who wants to cook properly without a full in-room kitchen. The on-site fitness centre is free for guests, self-service laundry is free, and a 24-hour front desk handles questions and help around the clock. Cafes and eateries along Cashel Street are a short walk away when you'd rather not cook.
Location and getting there
That 782 m from the City Centre works out to about a 10-minute walk to Cashel Street, lined with shops, restaurants and cafes, with Hagley Park a similar distance. Canterbury Museum is roughly 1.8 km away, and Christchurch Airport sits about 11 km out — call it a 15-minute drive. Metro buses stop right outside, so you can skip a rental car entirely if the CBD is your main beat.
Things to know before booking
This is not the address for someone who wants to be steps from Cathedral Square — the 10-minute walk to the centre adds up if you're in and out all day. Parking is NZ$15 a day, cheap for the area but not included in the rate, and spaces are limited, so book it ahead. Heating is via heat pump in most rooms but not every compact studio, and a "kitchenette" is not a full kitchen — confirm both when booking a budget room so there are no surprises on arrival.
Our take
Southwark suits couples on 3-to-5-night stays who want a kitchen to keep food costs down, and small families of two or three who want more room than a standard hotel, free Netflix for the evenings and a gym on site — all under roughly NZ$220 a night. It isn't your first choice if you need everything in the CBD within five minutes. But if value and space matter more than being dead-central, it's better value than a comparable hotel in the heart of town for a similar price.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Free Netflix on a Smart TV in every room — a small touch most hotels in this price bracket skip, and exactly what you want for a quiet night in.
- A full kitchen or kitchenette in each room, backed by a communal kitchen with an oven, stove and dining table, so a stay of 3-5 nights doesn't mean eating out every meal.
- Reviewers consistently praise the staff, the cleanliness and the comfort; a February 2026 guest called the room "nice, clean, and comfortable."
- On-site fitness centre, free self-service laundry and a 24-hour front desk — the practical extras that matter on a longer stay.
- Parking is NZ$15 a day, genuinely cheap for central Christchurch, where many hotels charge two to three times that.
- It sits 782 m from the CBD. That's a walkable 10 minutes along Cashel Street, but it's further than the central hotels and adds up if you're heading out several times a day.
- Parking is NZ$15 a day and must be booked ahead because spaces are limited — it isn't bundled into the room rate.
- Heat pumps cover most rooms but not every compact studio, so confirm heating and whether you're getting a full kitchen or just a kitchenette before you book a budget room.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Christchurch
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Insider Tips
- If you're staying three nights or more, book a room with a full kitchen rather than just a kitchenette — Countdown Supermarket is about 800 m away, a few minutes on foot or by car.
- Request a parking space when you book; spaces are limited and at NZ$15 a day it's a bargain for the Christchurch CBD.
- For rooms without a full kitchen, use the communal kitchen — it has an oven, electric stove and a dining table, so you can still cook a proper meal.