- fun concept - cool location (former jail, street with a lot of cafes, bus to city centre very close by) - clean - everything you need (kitchen, bathrooms, lounge area) - walking distance to train station (25min walk)

- the bathrooms were uncomfortable, metal toilets, super small stalls (bump your knees on the door while sitting on the loo) - location (quite a long walk to train station with heavy luggage, outside of city centre - 30 min walk to CBD, no supermarket close by) - goki locks, so you access the rooms with a pin or an app - no reception (except for a couple hours a day, you pay and check in in advance)

The history of the place was interesting and brought personality to the stay. The code worked well and you could move around the place very independently. It was easy to get to the destination by bus from the airport (bus 3 to Christchurch Hospital and from there bus 7 stops almost in front of the door). The hostel also has many different places to sit and work in peace. A small yard is nice! There is also quite cheap and good take away food places near by. I would definately stay again :)

In my bed I could feel the springs, which was a bit uncomfortable. The hostel was also quite full, so there were almost no hand towels and toilet paper in the bathroom. Small things, but in the end I felt that I got good value for the money.

I love a good building repurpose - great to see unused building be used for a different kind of accommodation. It still has the feel of a hostel and the harm of a jail. The bones are the same, with some slight upgrades of course to ensure security is maintained for all guests. the entry and exit code system is easy to use and gets rest when you complete your stay. I also liked the museumesk component - stories on the walls of former inmates, rooms allocated as a space for art on walls. It was all in all a very clean stay. There were a few cafes and restaurant type places nearby within walking distance and the giant park was not far either, to meander along the riverside.

The beds weren't overly comfy, could feel all the springs in the mattress and the pillows were just thin air, but otherwise nil complaints. The accommodation is alcohol free which is weird for a hostel, I don't know how widely that was enforced.

Everything is clean and well kept. Quiet at night, nice and relaxed atmosphere. You see that the staff tries their best to make your stay as nice as possible. Also high tec doors you can open with your personal code and also with your phone. The kitchen is tidy and clean, the best one I've seen while traveling.

The location could be closer to the city centre but it's fine, it's walkable. The wooden floor in our room was a bit noisy whenever we moved the chair or put something on the ground. The carpark is a bit small.

Liked the staff they were very helpful and great positive people. The place was in a good area and really was nice.

That it was very cold the heater did not hear the room very well and was very cold alot of the stay. The tv also seemed to play up alot and not because of the wifi but wouldn't load Netflix or other apps and wouldn't connect to screencast and was a internet only tv so that was dissapointing.

At first I was scheptical of going to a "backpackers" but found out that this place is tidy, clean, with really helpful people and most of all respectfull people, by night time it was quiet, for lunch and dinner time everything was clean. An special feature its the building and all the story around it, really liked it

I would rate my stay 99/100 the only minimun inconvenience was that I am a tall guy (6'3") and my bed was a bunk bed, while liying on ben I could barelly fit because the headrest and footrest are kind of restrictive, but if you are shorter its going to be a great place

This was a quirky place to stay and the hostel leant right into it. A couple of the cells were set up so you can see what it was like and there were some good prison photo ops. The kitchen was well maintained and rules enforced so even with a lot of people it was tidy and clean and there was space for everyones food.

We could only access wifi with the cell door open - which is perhaps hardly surprising. It was a little walk into town

Great experience. 10 bed dorm wasn't too cramped. There were lockers for belongings. Each bed had a shelf with light and charging point. The shower was powerful but the temperature control was loose and hard to find the perfect temperature. I didn't speak to any staff while I was staying but communication was great beforehand.

There wasn't the social atmosphere you find in most hostels - I think in part due to the 9pm quiet time, which is too early in my opinion. 10pm would be better. The kitchen was on the small side but I liked that there were labelled boxes to store food in. The baskets for the fridge were good too but they took up a lot of room when they didn't have much in them.

This is my second stay at this hostel. It is extremely well managed with a great cohort of energetic staff that work hard at keeping it clean and running smoothly. The beds are comfortable, kitchen and dining areas spacious and well stocked, and the hostel has very cosy tv and lounge areas. I like how they enforce a strict 9pm curfew in the quiet areas close to the sleeping quarters. The guests I met here ranged from very young students to gray nomads, solo travellers to couples and small families. In my view, this is NOT a Party Hostel... but it is a very sociable hostel where you will feel comfortable and welcomed. I strongly recommend it.

Loved everything! Keep up the great work Jailhouse team. (just wish that the per night cost was a bit lower... but as you'll see, the cost of living in NZ generally is quite high). Relative to other hostels, Jailhouse provides great value for money.

It’s a very stylish jail with comfortable beds and clean bathrooms, the rooms can be a little bit intimidating at first, as they are pretty authentic but you’ll get used to it very quickly. Since I had a late check in and very early check out the next day, I can’t really say much about staff, I didn’t meet anyone but everything was very well organised from the beginning so didn’t really need assistance with anything.

Not enough free parking space