The height of luxury in Christchurch

By SUE HOFFART

At dusk, a silver Rolls-Royce pulls up to the front door of the Charlotte Jane. A bride emerges, dressed in cream, clutching roses and accompanied by her groom, photographer and a small wedding party.

From my ringside seat inside the boutique hotel, I wonder if she wants to grab her husband, ditch the entourage and forgo the rest of the festivities to hotfoot it straight to the honeymoon suite. I've seen the four-poster bed and I'm sure the woman must be tempted.

My expansive, romantic suite across the courtyard makes me gloatingly grateful I don't have to attend a party or rush off to meet ageing overseas relatives and unwrap toasters in the morning.

Instead, my day begins with a time-wasting soak in the spa bath with scented bubbles and gleaming white tiles. I could just about live in this bathroom, which comes kitted with everything from a bidet to a full range of Les Floralies toiletries.

I don't even have to leave the water to reach my bubble bath because someone has placed extra bottles on a small stand next to the tub. The towels are as gloriously white as the bed linens that enfold our rimu sleigh bed, untouched by children's sticky fingers or everyday grime.

The Charlotte Jane is fabulously removed from daily realities, and the owners have gone to impressive lengths to create an intimate world where old-fashioned romance reigns.

And I'm not even talking about the fact that someone else makes your bed in the morning and puts chocolate mints on your pillows at night. The modern stereo in our room is hidden inside a radiogram casing, a replica black telephone conjures room service and the clocks tick rather than beep.

Whole sections of the two-storeyed main house, in desirable Merivale, have been rebuilt, and the comprehensive interior renovations are finished with native timber, chandeliers, plaster ceilings and fresh flowers.

The breakfast room is warmed by an open fire and the table is set with monogrammed blue and green Temuka crockery and silver serviette rings.

When I quiz owner Siegfried Lindlbauer about our superbly comfortable king-size bed - I would happily take it home if my hand luggage was larger - he grins. He knows how good the beds are - he and his wife Moira spent months sleeping on a series of mattresses to comfort-test them.

No wonder guest book comments praise the hosts' attention to detail, touches like using leaf-shaped wooden key tags with tiny paua inserts and arranging the morning paper on a table in sections.

Cooler Christchurch nights fail to penetrate our well-heated room, with its robes and heavy drapes, as well as television and video player, shoe-shine cloths and a fridge containing small boxes of complimentary juice, bottled water and soft drinks.

The room is one of two above the restaurant, just across the bricked courtyard from the main building, which houses the other 10 ensuite guest rooms as well as a reception area, dining room and library cum lounge.

To reach the stash of books and videos, I have to negotiate a sugarholics' minefield comprising one bowl of chocolates, another of giant licorice allsorts and a third of mints. No doubt secret tipplers have a worse time with the free decanters of sherry and port that perch temptingly beside the bookcase.

Where to find it

Moira and Siegfried Lindlbauer
110 Papanui Rd, Merivale, Christchurch
ph (03) 355 1028, fax (03) 355 8882,
email charjane@ihug.co.nz

What it costs

Between $235 and $340, though the rooms at the lower end of the range are being enlarged and upgraded this winter. Rates include a gourmet breakfast, GST, non-alcoholic drinks and complimentary wine or sherry in the evenings. A $299 winter special, which runs until June 30, covers bed, breakfast and a two-course meal in the fine dining restaurant.

Getting there

If you book early enough, Air New Zealand's cheapest available Auckland-Christchurch return airfare is $180.

We paid $240 an adult for a Rotorua-Christchurch return ticket (0800 737000). Also check Origin Pacific fares (0800 302302), which are similarly priced.

A taxi from the airport costs about $19, while the shuttle bus is $7 a person. Depending on traffic, the ride takes 10-20 minutes. Cathedral Square is an easy, 20-minute walk away.

Access

Not wheelchair accessible.

Smoking

Outside only - deck chairs and ashtrays are provided on the balcony.

Local information

Christchurch and Canterbury Visitor Centre, open seven days from 8.30am, Old Chief Post Office, Cathedral Square West, ph (03) 379 9629,

fax (03) 377-2424,
email info@christchurchnz.net

What's good

Double glazing, sound proofing and insulation keep the building warm and quiet, despite its age and proximity to a busy road. Twice-daily room service. Attentive staff. The size of Siegfried's grin. Free email/internet facilities are offered in the guest lounge and in-room desks/tables and phone and power connections are laptop computer-friendly. And check out the photo albums in the lounge to see the lengths this hard-working couple went to to restore the building.

Food

It is telling that local diners frequently outnumber in-house guests at the Alexander Lawrence restaurant. It shows people choose this evening-only fine dining establishment on its merits, rather than because it is handy. Here again, romance rules.

There are oodles of candles and magnificent floral decorations, and the private-function table is strewn with rose petals. The seasonal menu includes dishes such as crayfish bisque, goat's cheese salad, venison, salmon and chateaubriand.

There is a well-stocked wine cellar and the usual selection of spirits and aperitifs. This year, the restaurant will close in July and August for maintenance work.

In the main house, breakfast is served "early or very late", according to individual guests' wishes, and we were able to dine at a table in our suite.

Continental fare includes bowls of fruit salad, fresh and stewed fruit, yoghurt, nuts and several kinds of toast. Cheese and cold cuts and everything from herbal tea to latte and cappuccino are also available.

Cooked-to-order options include excellent omelettes and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and pancakes with maple syrup

The owners cater for small conferences, weddings and other functions.

The hotel is named after one of the first European vessels to land in Lyttelton Harbour. The property once housed mariner and Lyttelton harbourmaster Captain Fredrick Gibson. The restaurant takes its name from the ship's captain, Alexander Lawrence. Ask to read the intriguing historical accounts of the ship and the house.

* Sue Hoffart was a guest of the Charlotte Jane.