Distinction Christchurch Hotel

Distinction Christchurch Hotel reopened in March 2018 on Cathedral Square, in a building that had been the Millennium Hotel Christchurch until the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes forced it to close. New Zealand-owned Distinction Group bought it and put it back into service.

The place

Cathedral Square, in the middle of the Christchurch CBD. The hotel is a few minutes' walk from the Avon River, the Botanic Gardens, Cashel Mall, the casino, the Te Pae convention centre and the Te Kaha stadium.

The concept

This was a real change of operator and brand, not a same-flag refresh. The building ran as the Millennium Hotel Christchurch until the quakes of 2010 and 2011. Repairs began in 2012, but the hotel stayed shut until its Singaporean owners sold the property in 2016 to Distinction Group, which reopened it in March 2018. During the Covid-19 pandemic it also served as a managed-isolation facility.

The building has 11 storeys. The hotel's own site lists 182 rooms, including six floors of Superior Rooms and Suites, while earlier sources for this guide gave 179, so the exact count varies by document. Rooms have air conditioning, a smart TV and free Wi-Fi.

In 2025 the rear wall became the canvas for a mural by Jacob Ryan, who paints as Jacob Yikes, made for the Flare Street Art Festival. It covers about twelve storeys, and the press disagrees on its height, between 53 and 55 metres. It is described as the tallest mural in New Zealand.

Dining & wellness

Gumption Restaurant & Bar sits on the ground floor and serves breakfast, lunch, high tea and dinner daily, with cocktails at the bar.