Edgy new hybrid hotel Drifter Christchurch includes a ground floor retail precinct with three laneway-facing retail tenancies set to reap the benefits of the innovative offering in the city’s newest and largest accommodation venue.
Housed in an impressive heritage building next to the former Sol Square at 96 Lichfield Street, Drifter has capacity for 360 guests in a mix of shared and private suites.
Annabelle Bramwell, Retail Leasing Broker at Colliers Christchurch, says one of the four spaces has already been leased to the highly regarded Haven Tattoo, which is opening a second site. The other three spaces are each approximately 99sq m with flexible options to combine spaces.
Drifter Christchurch features a ground floor bar and restaurant, co-working and breakout rooms, and a wellness space.
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“Drifter Christchurch is injecting new life into this prime CBD location. The retail spaces open onto a private laneway and are right next to Drifter’s reception bar, The Rambler, ensuring a steady stream of foot traffic throughout the day and evening,” Bramwell says.
Once home to an old wool textile plant, the building was a major drawcard for the owner-operator, says Hugh Stephenson, Drifter’s Founding Director.
“All our Drifters will be design-led conversions of historical buildings as we breathe new life into existing structures and overlay our unique leisure accommodation concept. It’s a true amalgamation of heritage and contemporary minimalism and modernism,” Stephenson says.
“Another big part of Drifter is the unique sense of place our venues are located in. In Christchurch, we like to say we’re helping to put some of the soul back into Sol Square.”
The Rambler bar and dining area is open to both guests, locals, and Christchurch visitors.
“The building’s fit-out, designed by Auckland’s CTRL Space, is set to attract a diverse range of travellers seeking vibrant social experiences. It’s being touted as a hybrid hotel and lifestyle precinct for ‘free spirited, young and young at heart travellers’,” Bramwell says.
Drifter Christchurch is the first of five locations across New Zealand and Australia currently being progressed by Drifter. Others are set to follow in Wellington, Byron Bay, and Melbourne at the end of next year and Auckland in 2026.
The property is strategically positioned near the city’s major attractions, including the under-construction Te Kaha stadium, Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, Cashel Mall retail precinct, the Christchurch Bus Interchange, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū and the Botanic Gardens.
- Supplied by Colliers
