Accommodation
Comfort On A Budget In Christchurch
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010A while back I wrote about comfortable budget accommodation in New Zealand, citing the BBH hostel chain as one option for those wanting basic comfort and privacy without a hotel price tag. Here I share one of my three favourites - Dorset House in Christchurch.
Although classed as a backpacker hostel, the owners take pride in it being small and homely, which it is. If you imagine a big two-storey house with lots of bedrooms, a cosy lounge room and a log fire, then you’ve got the picture. Its location on the quieter fringes of the central city area also set it apart from other hostels which tend to position themselves nearer to the city centre but in less charming settings.
The clincher for me was the way solo travellers are catered for. That is, solo travellers who don’t want to share a dormitory with strangers, something which can become less appealling with age. Dorset House (and other BBH hostels) have rooms specifically for singles. Naturally they cost more than a dorm bed, but are less than the twin or double rooms which the hostel also has. Treating people on their own with as much respect as people who are accompanied is something that more expensive places could get better at!
The real beds (not bunks) and comfort of the rooms make it easy to forget you’re in a hostel - until you leave your room and use the shared facilities. Communal lounges are one of the strengths of hostels, and having a very well equipped shared kitchen at one’s disposal can be a fantastic asset. Not just for saving money by self-catering … I used the kitchen at Dorset to prepare daily rations for a camping trip, something which would have been much harder in a motel or hotel.
If you don’t want to do your own food, there are plenty of eating places in the vicinity. Nearby Victoria Rd, a main road heading north-west out of the city, hosts a variety of eating places and cafes. Procope Cafe, just around the corner from the hostel, does delightful breakfasts and coffee. I found this cafe after running out of breakfast cereal near the end of my trip, and wished I’d run out of cereal sooner.
Dorset House is about ten or fifteen or twenty minutes walk from the city centre - depending on your route and how fast you walk. While it may have an “away from the hustle and bustle” feel to it, the hostel is still within walking distance of most of the central city if you don’t mind using your legs.
Another selling point is the proximity to the Avon River, just 200 metres to the west. A relaxing stroll along this gentle river, among manicured park land, provides access to the western end of central Christchurch - not a bad way of getting around.
I stayed at Dorset House at the beginning and end of my last NZ trip, and also during the middle when I switched from bus mode to car mode. It was a beautifully comfortable home base, made particularly welcoming by the friendliness and helpfulness of its hosts and staff. Next time I go to Christchurch, I know where I’ll want to stay!
More information:
Dorset House website (very comprehensive)
Dorset House page on BBH hostels website
Topics: Accommodation, New Zealand (south) | Add Your Comment »
Hobart Astor Hotel
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
Astor Private Hotel, Hobart
On my last visit to Hobart I was a little bit demanding. I wanted a private room somewhere that was comfortable, centrally located (but not too noisy), and much nicer than a backpackers … and all for much cheaper than a motel. A tall order, perhaps, but the Hotel Astor ticked all the boxes.
Normally I avoid hotels because of the cost, but the Astor is priced very reasonably for a hotel if you don’t need an en-suite bathroom. In fact, with the reduced winter rates, a room there was slightly cheaper than a room at the Adelphi Lodge YHA hostel, 3km from Hobart’s centre. I stayed at Adelphi Lodge once before - and while it’s a good hostel in a quiet area, it’s not quite up to the standard of the Hotel Astor, and not as conveniently located.
The Astor is within walking distance of just about anywhere you’d want to walk in central Hobart. However it avoids the noise and antisocial behaviour which can sometimes be a disadvantage of central city accommodation. The Elizabeth St bus mall and waterfront areas, which seem to be Hobart’s nearest thing to night time trouble spots, are not close enough to be a concern.
Comfortable, cosy and clean also describe the place. The rooms I stayed in were tastefully decorated but basic by hotel standards, but luxurious by backpacker standards. Most importantly, the beds were comfortable. Radiators kept the rooms warm, but what I appreciated was the option to go without heating and open the window - something not possible in many flashier places.
Hobart waterfront, a 10-15 min stroll from the Astor
Some rooms are en-suite, but the cheaper rooms make use of shared toilets, and shared individual shower rooms. All were clean, and the showers would have to be the most satisfying I’ve used in Tasmanian accommodation.
Breakfast is included in the rate, consisting of self serve cereal, toast, juice and tea/coffee in a shared dining room. Also shared is a cosy lounge room with TV, refrigerator and small book exchange - some of the communal benefits of hostels which you normally don’t get in more up market places.
A great asset of the Astor is Tildy, the woman who runs it. Her delightfully unique character ensures the place is both well run and welcoming. Another asset is the outlet of Jackman and McRoss - one of Hobart’s best and most popular bakeries. While separate from the hotel, it is downstairs in another part of the same building: perhaps a little too convenient if you’re trying to lose weight!
If you’re looking for somewhere in Hobart that’s comfortable, central but not too expensive, and combines the best elements of hostel, hotel and B&B, I can recommend the Astor. I hope to stay there again some day.
More information:
The Astor Private Hotel
Note - as always, these are my own honest and unbiased opinions, written without any rewards or inducements.
Topics: Accommodation, Tasmania | Add Your Comment »
Guesthouse In A Monastery At New Norcia, WA
Monday, August 31st, 2009
New Norcia in Western Australia is definitely not off the beaten track, but it offers some accommodation which is truly out of the ordinary. It is Australia’s only monastic town, and the accommodation is a guesthouse run by the monastery following a fifth century tradition. I recently stayed in this unique place.
New Norcia began in 1846 when a monastery was built 132km north of Perth, and a small town grew up around it. In the tradition of St Benedict (born in Norcia, Italy), the monks offered hospitality to passing travellers, as they still do to this day in the guesthouse attached to the monastery. The numbers of monks may have reduced, and their schools closed, but the monastery still owns and operates the town, a situation unique in Australia.
Guests stay in either single or twin rooms, some with ensuites and others sharing a bathroom. Standards could be summed up as basic but comfortable - everything you really need is there, including a guest lounge room, dining room, and kitchen. Meals are provided, and the showers are consistently hot. In keeping with the surroundings, quietness is requested at night, and there is no TV.
You can attend prayers with the monks and eat with them if you want to, providing you are male, but you don’t have to. I ate with them in their refectory to experience how monks at New Norcia do dinner - without speaking, other than someone reading from the bible. The food was very good, but as a slow eater I found it a little rushed. You can eat in a more normal way in the guesthouse dining room if you prefer, as most guests do.
Whether you stay there or not, the twice-daily walking tours are an excellent way of exploring this one-of-a-kind town. Of its 64 buildings, 30 are classified by the national trust for their heritage value, giving it probably more historical ambience than anywhere else in Western Australia.
Even if you’re like me and prefer the roads less travelled, staying in the monastery guesthouse is a good reason to visit the much-visited town of New Norcia.
Links:
New Norcia website
The monastery guesthouse
Topics: Accommodation, Western Australia | 3 Comments »
Good Budget Accommodation In Augusta, WA
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
One of my favourite places to stay in Western Australia in recent years has been the Baywatch Manor in Augusta. Frequently voted the best YHA hostel in Australia, it is much more than you might expect from backpacker accommodation … and has a wonderful bakery nearby.
I began staying there soon after the purpose built two-level building was opened in 1995. What first appealed to me was the location - centrally sited in a quiet part of the small town’s main street, with views over Flinders Bay (hence the Baywatch name). Just as appealing was the presence, only two minutes walk from the hostel, of the Augusta Bakery Cafe - my favourite eating place in southwest WA.
Next to impress me was the standard of the the place. Clean and comfortable are over-used words in accommodation literature, but they really do apply here. Spacious, tastefully decorated and well equipped are also accurate descriptions.
Sleeping quarters include shared dormitory rooms, twin, double and family rooms, plus the en-suite rooms which have the best views. Most rooms make use of the pleasant shared bathrooms. Downstairs are the communal dining area, kitchen, and lounge/TV room - nicer and more roomy than what most hostels provide.
The kitchen is particularly well equipped for those who like to keep costs down by self catering - something usually not possible in more expensive accommodation. Although with the bakery so close at hand, I confess I haven’t used Baywatch’s kitchen as much as I should have!
The original owners, Neville and Jane, provided the friendliness and good management that made good accommodation truly great. I haven’t been to Augusta as much since new owners took over, but the standards at Baywatch Manor appear to be just as high. My only complaint - and it’s only a small one - is that the mattresses are of the dense foam rubber variety rather than proper spring mattresses. You can’t have everything in budget accommodation.
Like most coastal spots, Augusta is very busy in the summer holiday period. At other times, it is a much quieter alternative to Margaret River and other tourist towns further north, largely because it is further from Perth. For anyone looking to explore the region from a comfortable but economical base - with views and a great bakery nearby - I can recommend Baywatch Manor at Augusta.
Links:
YHA Australia - the Baywatch Manor page, with online bookings and availability checking
Baywatch Manor Resort - more information and photos
Topics: Accommodation, Western Australia | Add Your Comment »
New Zealand Budget Accommodation In Comfort
Friday, March 27th, 2009Backpacker hostels have really taken off in New Zealand. But what if you’re a solo budget traveller who is of an age where sharing a dormitory no longer appeals? Fortunately, New Zealand has options for solo travellers wanting the comfort of a private room, but without the expense of hotels or motels.
A BBH hostel near the river, Christchurch
One option is covered by the BBH backpacker network. As well as having the biggest range of hostels, BHH caters better for singles than the YHA and VIP hostels which are the main alternatives. Not all BBH hostels have single rooms, but many do - their website and guide sets out the facilities clearly.
Prices vary, but generally fit somewhere between a dormitory bed and the full price of a twin room. This is better than the YHA hostels, which don’t seem to have single rooms … and charge the rate for two people if you want a twin or double room to yourself. Even if you wouldn’t normally think of staying in a hostel, a private room in a BBH hostel outside of the city centres can be more pleasant than you’d expect.
Another option is the motor camp, or holiday park. These are known elsewhere as campgrounds or caravan parks - places where you can park a campervan or caravan, or pitch a tent. They also have various standards of permanent accommodation which includes cabins - ranging from simple wooden huts with shared facilities to very comfortable tiny homes with en-suites and their own kitchens. Whatever the cabins have, the facilities of the park itself can also be used, such as campers kitchens, laundry and internet access.
The most basic cabin I stayed in was at a motor camp in Glenorchy. It was little more than a garden shed sized wooden box with a bunk bed, but it was private and very cheap. At the other end of the scale, the cabin I enjoyed at Pohara Beach, in the Golden Bay area, was pure indulgence. Quiet location, right on the beach with sea views, and still cheaper (off-season) for one person than the budget motels in the area, which weren’t on the beach.
Cabins at a motor camp outside Queenstown
The most consistently high standards are at parks belonging to the Top 10 chain; most other parks are independantly owned and operated, with a wide range of standards and prices.
A major benefit of motor camps - apart from economical comfort - is their great range of out-of-town locations. If you want to stray from the most well-trodden paths, you’ll be more likely to find motor camps up the scenic back roads than hotels or motels.
Another reason to stay in motor camps is the clientele. Budget hostels and hotels tend to be well frequented by overseas travellers, whereas motor camps tend to be more popular with New Zealanders exploring their own back yard. This aspect might appeal if you’re wanting to feel less like a tourist and mingle with more locals.
Even if you normally only stay in hotels, or backpacker dorms, motor camp cabins and private rooms in BBH hostels are worth adding to your list of options. I’ll be highlighting some specific examples in future posts.
Links:
Top 10 Holiday Parks
BBH Budget Backpacker Hostels
Topics: Accommodation, New Zealand (south) | Add Your Comment »
Great Lake Hotel - Refuge In A Storm
Friday, December 5th, 2008In the middle of Tasmania lies a plateau dotted with lakes, and next to the biggest lake sits the Great Lake Hotel. In the quiet of winter it is a great place to shelter from passing snowstorms.
Great Lake Hotel; cabins and motel units at right rear
For much of the year the highland lakes are popular with fisherman, but I’m not into fishing - I just like out-of-the-way places bypassed by most tourists. Another lure is the offer of budget accomodation in an area which receives the most regular snowfalls outside the mainland ski resorts. I stayed there last winter, arriving just as snow began to fall.
The Great Lake Hotel is a country pub with more accommodation options than your typical drinking establishment. I stayed in a cheap and basic fisherman’s cabin, but there are also nicer motel and hotel rooms, plus sites for campervans out the back.
Part of the lake view
Wherever you lay your head, most people end up in the main bar area, with its restaurant and verandah. In cold weather, the roaring log fire forms a cosy centrepiece, with the grand view of the lake outside the window adding to the charm. It feels even more cosy if you can gaze out the window and watch the snow falling outside.
Apart from its vantage point next to Great Lake, the hotel is a focal point for the locality of Miena. This community of highland fishing shacks is the nearest thing to a town on Tasmania’s central plateau. The hotel, with the adjoining general store, forms the hub of the community - something I gained a sense of in my longer than expected stay.
The snow which fell upon my arrival at the Great Lake Hotel closed the roads to two wheel drive vehicles, and it was three days before I could safely drive away. Even then it took a bit of snow shovelling before I could reach the road.
A good day not to go driving
Looking back, the enforced lingering made me slow down and appreciate an area which is truly unique in Australia, and which few visitors to Tasmania get to see. Finding a cosy refuge at the Great Lake Hotel made it possible.
Some clarification: The snow I experienced was unusually heavy and persistent. Normally the snow around Great Lake is much lighter, with lengthy snow-free periods between falls - even in winter.
Link:
Google map showing Great Lake Hotel location
Topics: Accommodation, Tasmania | Add Your Comment »