I’ve stayed here several times. Down to earth and homely, with 1950s furnishings, this handily located motel has all you need for a basic stay. Not affected by the earthquakes, and with friendly welcoming hosts. If you demand 5 star luxury, try somewhere else, but for basic value, I can recommend this

Amazing owner- operator husband and wife who make you feel immediately welcome and that nothing is too much trouble. Spacious rooms with everything you need and close to shopping, restaurants, take away foods, etc and a short bus ride (bus stop beside motels) into the city. It is like stepping back to a time where you had heaps of space and you are valued as a customer. The decor is a bit dated (NOT SHABBY as stated by a previous fussy reviewer who must have been in a different Ilam Motel than us), but warm and comfortable with a full sized dining table and comfortable beds with spotless bedding. We have travelled around te world and this will be our place to stay in Christchurch. These motels are on a main road but we have never had trouble sleeping or with noise.

This is a truly charming establishment, with one of the most hospitable owner-operator couples I’ve ever met. They make you feel like a guest in their own home. Our suite (yes it was!) comprised two roomy bedrooms, large living room, separate kitchen, bathroom and toilet. The bathroom was equipped with both shower and bathtub – a relative rarity these days! Ilam Motel has a delightful retro feel to it, which added to the pleasure of staying there. I am sure it will for you too.

On arrival we received a very warm welcome from our hosts. They were aware we were going out for the evening and when we returned to our motel later that evening we found the heating had been turned on for us. This was very much appreciated especially as it was mid winter. Despite being on a very busy road we were not bothered by traffic noise at all. This will be our preferred motel in Christchurch on any future visits.

We’ve stayed in countless motels in Chch, but this one is, for a long stay, overall the best one we’ve found. Incredibly reasonably priced, with a deep bath, full kitchen, SKY TV, broadband, antique oak furniture and tasteful paint and decor, it’s 4*+ service at budget pricing. The hosts are lovely, and indulged my son; I also saw them spend hours of a Sunday evening trying to help other guests who had problems with their car. We stayed several days while training for sport, then cancelled our next booking elsewhere, and stayed the remainder at Ilam. We’ll always return here, for genuine Kiwi hospitality and the comforts of home without the unnecessary gloss

stayed in one bedroom unit came down by ferry and bus warm comfortable and safe room i had had bathtub easy excess to christchurch central by bus small shopping centre across the road went on tour of gondola and sumner beach would recomend as home away from home

The host was really knowledgable about the local attractions, particularly the cultural shows, which we had come to see. The hotel is only a five minute walk from a thermal area. The hotel booklet in the room is the best I’ve seen, written in a very honest and informative style. If you read this first you can’t go wrong! The decor is dated, but as the booklet says, they are doing it up as they can afford, and everything was clean, functional and well maintained. It was good value for the price.