Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square, Christchurch review: Cosy, in any event

While Christchurch shivers in a soaking southerly, Erin O'Dwyer curls up in ultra-modern comfort with a side serving of heritage.

I ARRIVE in Christchurch on the same day that a month's rain falls in 24 hours. As far as welcomes go, it's not the kindest. Nor is it the best the South Island can do.

The next day, the mercury plummets to 5 degrees and snow falls in the high country. It's still only May and locals keep apologising for the "wither". It's "a vent", they say. By which they mean it's a weather event, a once-in-a-generation occurrence, which sees a sub-Antarctic southerly tangled in a low-pressure system. In three days, the city gets rain, hail, sleet and snow. Roads close and rivers flood. Thank goodness for our cosy digs.

Our late-night arrival at Christchurch's newest hotel, the Novotel Cathedral Square, is met with a glass of warming Baileys and a plate of home-made chocolate-chip cookies. My room has a king bed dressed in crisp white linen, a plush day bed and picture windows that, at the moment, are splashed with rain. There's 24-hour room service - great for weather events - and a full-size bath tub - ditto.

The nifty room design creates a little nook that is kitchenette and bathroom vanity combined. It gives the suite a spacious feel. All other mod cons are accounted for - only that seemingly ubiquitous modern hotel feature, the iPod docking station, is missing. But then, Christchurch is a sports-mad city. A massive LCD television gleams from its wall mounting and seems to show only rugby, football or tennis whenever I look. A selling point, perhaps?

Officially, every room at the Novotel overlooks the town square, historic Gothic cathedral and beyond to the hills. Even with the rain flecks, it's a pretty view. The skyline glints and twinkles like an impressionist painting. And at this rate it seems as if it's the closest to the city I'm going to get.

Our itinerary of hot-air ballooning and punting on the (now very swollen) Avon River has been scratched. The hotel manager rubs his chin, pondering something for us to do. "We're a very outdoorsy city," he shrugs.

We plan a visit to the International Antarctic Centre, where the resident Little Blue penguins are loving the downpour. We tour wineries that turn out snappy sauvignon blancs and have long lunches by the fireside. On our last morning, still icy and wet, we're content to mooch around the hotel. I'm staying in the hotel's new 14-storey tower but I take a peek in the historic wing. The rooms and suites of the original Warner's Hotel have been given new life, with reproduction oak furniture and striped taffeta window hangings. Still, there's the weight of history about the wing: high ceilings, double-hung windows and passageways so wide you want to promenade down them. A ghost or two for those who believe.

Novotel bought iconic Warner's in 2007 and began redeveloping a year later. In the 12 months that the hotel was closed, a history-minded employee began work on its 150-year-old story.