The Governors Bay Hotel is one of the oldest, if not one of the most beautiful Hotels in New Zealand. It has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1870. After the devasting earthquakes of September 2010 and again, on 22nd of February and June 6th 2011, it is meticulously and fully restored to its former colonial glory. Of the 9 hotels in Lyttelton harbour prior to February 22nd, we are now only one of two that have survived.
For much of it’s existence the Hotel was known as The Ocean View Family Hotel and many came by ferry from Lyttelton to seek out it's "Pleasure Gardens", however, rather than its ocean outlook, it is the commanding views of Lyttelton harbour that it is well known for today. Around 1980 to 1995 it was briefly known as The Smugglers Arms but is today, central in name to the community which surrounds it. The Hotel enjoys a fine reputation for its gastro-pub style fare, friendly service and extensive selection of local wines and beers. Fantastic views await you out to Quail Island and Lyttelton Harbour from the garden bar, our new deck, restaurant, verandah and the guest rooms of the Governors Bay Hotel. There are great walks to be had along the shoreline, cycling trips, world famous private gardens and many water based activities are within minutes of the Hotel.
The Hotel is only 20 minutes by car from central Christchurch via Dyers Pass Road or 30 minutes via the Lyttelton Road Tunnel. We can cater for a wide variety of functions including dinner parties, wedding receptions, office parties, wakes, corporate planning meetings, and birthday parties.
Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your requirements.
The Governors Bay Hotel is independently owned by Jeremy Dyer and Clare Neville-Dyer since 2003
We also have a totally groovy tapas and craft beer bar situated in downtown Lyttelton. Ecletic cocktails, late night service and our son, Louis Dyer runs a great ship here (proud parents) https://www.facebook.com/civilandnaval
We are open 7 days and nights every week from 11am until late, we highly advise you book either to dine or for accommodation. During our high season our accommodation is frequently fully booked and we can turn away large groups whom turn up for impromptu lunch or dinner. You're always welcome for a drink, however...
You can also book the hotel for
Weddings
Birthday Parties
Christmas Parties
Social Clubs
If you wish to check room availability or make an online booking, please click here. Please note; a new browser window will open.
We offer all day dining 364 days of the year*. We open daily from 11.00am for meals and remain open throughout the day until 9.00pm. Bookings are always recommended.
In keeping with our strong food focus our brief to our chefs is to produce all dishes from the base ingredients up. Stocks, soups, cakes and everything departing our kitchen should be prepared in-house ensuring you a quality gastro-pub fare. Wherever possible, we seek the best possible ingredients from what the seasons or markets currently offer and source them locally if possible. Currently, our own gardens are providing our kitchen with a range of fresh fruit, tomatoes, corn, cucumbers and a range of herbs all grown organically.
We offer a number of dining locations within the Hotel and it’s grounds. Depending on the occasion we will recommend an area when you book. For instance, throughout the summer months, our inviting gardens with bountiful roses are a beacon for many of our guests during the day. Our bar area is great for casual dining in the evening and mixing with the locals. Through the cooler nights expect to be met with a very warming open fire. If a more private setting is required we suggest our Snug area (formerly known as a “Ladies Lounge”) or the restaurant which seats up to 70 guests, if a private function is your requirement.
Our current lunch and dinner menu you can view by following the link below. In addition to our standard fare we offer a number of daily specials ranging from fresh fish of the day, pasta of the day, soups, etc.
If you are contemplating a function at the hotel we suggest you contact us directly for a range of competitively priced menus designed for a range of budgets and tastes.
*Closed only Christmas Day
Click here to view our current menu.
Our public bar is your main point of entry into our reception, whether you are in for the night, a casual drink, a great meal or a myriad of other good reasons. You will also be welcomed by warm professional staff or owners and one of the best views from any pub on the planet (true!*).
Guests enjoy a wide selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. There are 6 local brews on tap specialising in Monteiths beers and over 40 wines to choose from, including 14 by the glass. Whilst quaffing on a fine Monteiths Pilsener you might pause on the fine deck in front of you kindly sponsored by an unknown beer baron. Many of our wines are selected on local regionalist criteria, so you will find many wines from the Peninsula, Waipara and even a fabulous Port Hills Pinot Gris less than 3 k's from the Hotel as the crow flies. In keeping with the local theme, our espresso coffee utilizes coffee beans roasted by Hummingbird.
Bar facilities include a pool table, juke box, table soccer machine, dart board and the best kickass pinball machine in the "Revenge from Mars". If anyone is capable of beating JEDs high score (that's me) they get a night on the house in one of our new super glamourous balcony queen rooms or they can have a nice slapdash two course meal on me. I will of course be slightly annoyed and totally surprised if anyone can top it. We also have wide screen LCD TV's featuring Sky sports, World disasters and other events so you can catch up with all the Super 15, All Blacks games, Natural disasters and maybe the Netball too. We will not of course be rescreening the rugby world cup final as it was too hard to watch the first time. All we wanted was a good old thrashing of Les Bleus and look what we got!
The main bar area features a comprehensive heating and cooling system, however, in winter you are likely to be greeted with a roaring open fire, which has sadly become a rarity in Canterbury. Not forgetting to mention our stupendous world famous views (truly) some very groovy surround sounds and free wifi if you must (but please don't hog its GB or log on to anything I might get arrested for).
Browse our Wine Beer and Spirit and soft drinks menus.
Our 6 guest rooms are located on the first floor level of the Hotel. All of our rooms are newly renovated with 32 inch LCD TVs, queen size beds, free wifi broadband, heaters, alarm clock radios/iPhone chargers, electric blankets and vanities. Four of our rooms have direct balcony access through French doors opening out to wonderful views over the Lyttelton harbour. Great for an afternoon G & T, reading a book or an early morning cuppa. The other two rooms are equipped the same, are our cheapest but that's for a reason, it's all about the view.
Please note, all of our rooms are clean, contemporary and very comfortable, however, none are ensuited. Our guests use two separate shower and toilet areas. There are no cooking facilities in the rooms and our guests are encouraged to utilize our dining facilities.
Overnight accommodation starts from $119.00 per couple per night for our hillside queen, $139.00 per night for our balcony queens and $169 per night for our balcony king. All of our rates include a continental breakfast and free wifi broadband throughout the Hotel.
Due to the easy balcony access and stairs, our accommodation is not ideally suited to the disabled or for children under the age of 12. There are a number of cottages and Bed and Breakfast options also in the Bay and we are happy to recommend these should our accommodation not suit you.
To book a room please click the link below. You can check online our availability and select your favourite room. You can also book the old fashioned way by telephoning us on 03 3299433 or by emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Read our rave reviews from the popular tripadvisor web site and find out why we won our 2014/2015 certificate of exellence.
Just discoved that in the early 1900's up to 250 people a day would arrive by ferry to seek out the hotel's "pleasure gardens". I reckon our garden is looking pretty great right now but whatever constituted pleasure gardens back in this time who knows.
Hotel grown tomatoes, cucumbers and corn, all organically grown onsite, complimenting our dishes now
On the first Sunday of every month, classic car owners are invited to come and mingle with like minded car enthusiasts from 10.00am. A full a la carte breakfast is availble or maybe you prefer just a muffin with coffee. Your car doesn't have to be vintage or classic, you just have to have a passion for cars. Hosted by Gavin Bain, former owner of Fazazz Cars, Lichfield Street. He can be contacted on +643 3299712 for more details.
Dog Day Afternoon, every Wednesday. Nice juicy free cannon bone for every hound
Thursday Night is 'locals night' but you don't have to be a local to enjoy $7.50 jugs, $5.00 house wines and $5.00 house spirits between 5.00pm and 7.30pm. The locals truly don't bite and will love to challenge you to a game of pool, if you're inclined and encourage you to crank up a few tunes on the Wurlizer Juke Box.
Friday night or TGIF as some would have it, is a shorter happy hour, 6.00pm to 7.00pm but all drinks with a few exceptions (Jugs and bottles of wine) are all half price. Come in, the sport of the day is on our big screens and relax after a hard week's labour. Whether its winter when you're be greeted with a roaring open fire or summer, when you'll be entranced with the twilight views over the harbour from our deck, you will never want for the hassle of those inner city pubs ever again.
Monday nights, no happy hours, no frills but free pool!! The old boys always congregate around the pool table on Monday nights, it is an age old tradition. They positively love a bit of new blood and are more than happy to take you and your partner on for a doubles challenge.
