The Chamberson, Dunedin, New Zealand

I had the pleasure of staying at The Chamberson while visiting my hometown of Dunedin, just recently. The service was unparalleled, and the rooms - which are really gorgeous apartments, were just beautiful. I was in town because of a family members hospitalization, in the midst of this, another member landed up in hospital. I was stressed & upset, and the man at the front desk called cabs for me, organized extra towels, and, the cleaning crew went into my room and made sure it was perfect while I rushed out to unexpected hospital visits. I can not recommend this hotel enough.

This is some interesting combination of a chic urban hotel and a B&B, which worked great for us. We would definitely recommend with a few things to keep in mind. Room: Fantastic. Beautifully furnished straight out of a magazine, all the amenities you could want/need, and very comfortable. Wi-fi was solid. Hospitality: Great. It's a small staff and Richard, the manager at least during our stay (proprietor?), is wonderful. The only drawback to the small staff is the limited/variable check-in hours--make sure you coordinate after-hours check-in (easy if you know what to do) if you're planning on arriving late. Breakfast: Included (at least with our booking) and pretty good. There are also a number of really awesome cafes in walking distance, so we might have branched out if we'd stayed longer. Location: hard to beat if you want to be in the middle of Dunedin. Right on the Octagon (the main...square?) with bars/restaurants/theateres/DOC center. Still nice and quiet in the room. There's a limited amount of underground parking right at the hotel, and it's *very* low clearance and tight getting in/out. We removed the antenna from our little SUV and were OK, but call ahead if you'll be driving something large/roof-racked.

Be warned that the "deluxe studio" is a very small loft with only a skylight. When we booked, it was advertised as a "city view". I understand that has been updated. The 1 bedroom suite was great (we upgraded). Plus it included breakfast. Go for the extra and stay away from the studio!