Northcote Motor Lodge is a proudly Kiwi-operated, 3-star motel on Main North Road in Redwood, Christchurch, run by friendly hosts Donna and Gary — along with Tiggy, the resident dog who likes to greet arriving guests. The lodge offers a range of quiet, clean and comfortable units suited to just about any kind of traveller, from corporate business trips through to large families and visiting sports teams.
Location is one of its biggest drawcards: the motel sits roughly 15 minutes from the Christchurch city centre and only 13 minutes from Christchurch International Airport, with easy access to many of the region's sports facilities. That makes it a practical base whether you're flying in for a weekend, working in the city, or in town for a tournament.
Guests consistently highlight the same things in their reviews: warm, cosy rooms, comfortable beds, genuinely helpful hosts, and surprising quiet despite the motel's position on a busy main road. Several mention thoughtful touches like Gary offering to help with bags, and more than one has raved about the spa bath. The lodge is also known for its affordability — reviewers describe the pricing as really cheap for what you get — and for welcoming dogs, which is rare enough to be worth planning a stay around.
Northcote Motor Lodge is a proud member of Accommodation NZ, part of Hospitality New Zealand, and takes bookings both online and by phone, with the owners noting that calling direct unlocks their best rates.
Tucked along Main North Road in Redwood, Northcote Motor Lodge is the kind of motel travellers describe the same way every time: warm, quiet, clean and genuinely friendly. It's a 3-star, Kiwi-operated lodge about fifteen minutes from central Christchurch and just thirteen minutes from Christchurch International Airport, which makes it an easy base whether you've just landed or you're heading out early.
The lodge is run by hosts Donna and Gary, along with Tiggy, their dog, who is very much part of the welcome party. Reviews mention hosts who are always smiling, owners for whom "nothing was a problem," and a level of personal service — like Gary offering to help carry bags — that you don't often find. It's a hands-on, family-run operation, and it shows.
Northcote Motor Lodge sits on a main road, but you wouldn't know it from inside. Returning guests repeatedly call the rooms "super quiet," with comfortable beds and everything needed for a proper night's sleep. The units themselves are described as warm, cosy and roomy, and each is cleaned and ready before guests arrive.
One feature that keeps earning mentions is the spa bath — one guest summed it up in capital letters: "WONDERFUL!" If a long soak sounds like your kind of end to a travel day, it's worth asking about when you book.
The lodge deliberately caters across a wide range of stays. Large families return year after year — one reviewer noted it was their second family visit and it was "as good as the first." Corporate travellers use it as a quiet, affordable work base with easy city access. And sports teams book in for tournaments, thanks to the motel's proximity to many of Christchurch's sports facilities.
There's one more group that gets a special welcome: dogs. The owners invite guests to enquire about bringing their own dog along, and reviewers call out the pet-friendly policy as a real reason they choose to stay. If you travel with a four-legged companion, this is one of the few Christchurch motels where that's an easy conversation rather than a flat no.
Location does a lot of quiet work here. The airport is only thirteen minutes away, the city centre about fifteen, and the surrounding area puts you close to sports venues and the wider sights of the region. For guests juggling early flights, event schedules or family itineraries, that central-north position saves time on every trip out.
Price is another recurring theme in guest feedback. Reviewers describe the rates as "really cheap" for the quality on offer, and the owners make a point of saying that calling direct — on 0800 289 888 — unlocks their best rates, though online booking is available too. The lodge is also a proud member of Accommodation NZ, part of Hospitality New Zealand.
What Northcote Motor Lodge offers isn't flashy — it's dependable. Quiet rooms, a comfortable bed, hosts who remember you, a dog at the gate, and a location that keeps the whole city within easy reach. For families, sports teams, business travellers and dog owners passing through Christchurch, it's the sort of place people book once and then keep coming back to.