Age certainly becomes Heritage Christchurch’s Old Government Building. This beautiful property turns 107 years old this month and has been a major city icon for over a century.
The building was designed by renowned architect Joseph Clarkson Maddison in a grand Italian Renaissance Palazzo style, to house the growing city’s government departments.
Over the years the departments moved to other newer offices as the building fell into serious disrepair.
Christchurch Council, as an interim owner, called for new uses of the building, after a public outcry that the building should not be demolished.
Heritage Hotels took on the challenge of making the building into a hotel and commissioned major strengthening of the building as a priority. The building’s interior was then transformed into luxury suites with great care in preserving the special historic features. Heritage Christchurch opened in 1996.
The Old Government Building has long had a special place in Cantabrians’ hearts, but post the February 2011 quakes, the building gained even greater importance to the city, being the only heritage building still standing intact in the CBD.
Heritage Hotels were delighted to present the building back to the city, with an emotional formal re-opening ceremony on its centenary in 2013. The re-opening was described as a beacon of hope for the city’s recovery at the time.
Heritage Hotels over the past two decades has secured numerous rewards for their stewardship of the building, including Canterbury Heritage Awards in 2010, 2012, 2014 and again in 2018 in the tourism category, as well as several World Luxury Hotel Awards over the last decade.
Heritage Christchurch offers self-contained suites in one and two-bedroom configurations, with the convenience of a full kitchen and laundry facilities in the suite. On site is a health club complete with well-equipped gym and lap pool for guest use.
