The Fort. Timaru

3.0 star property

Photo gallery for The Fort. Timaru

Property entrance
Premier Suite, Courtyard View | Bathroom
Dining room
Business Double Room
Interior entrance

Reviews

7.6 out of 10
Good

Popular amenities

  • Breakfast included
  • Parking included
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Business services
  • Laundry room
The current price is AU$102
includes taxes & fees
23 June - 24 June

Explore the area

View map
66 Stafford St, Timaru, Canterbury, 7910
  • Place, South Canterbury Museum
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Place, Te Ana Maori Rock Art Centre
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Place, Caroline Bay Beach
    ‪18 min walk‬
  • Airport, Timaru (TIU-Richard Pearse)
    ‪29 min drive‬

Room options

Standard Double Room

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed
  • Free Wi-Fi

Superior Double Room

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(1 review)
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed
  • Free Wi-Fi

Classic Double Room

  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free Wi-Fi

Comfort Double Room

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free Wi-Fi

Premier Double Room

  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free Wi-Fi

Business Double Room

  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free Wi-Fi

Premier Suite, Courtyard View

  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Double Sofa Bed
  • Free Wi-Fi

Double Classic W/ Shared Bathroom

  • Sleeps 2
  • Free Wi-Fi

Double Deluxe W/ Shared Bathroom

  • Sleeps 2
  • Free Wi-Fi

Standard Queen Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • Free Wi-Fi

About the area

Timaru

The Fort. Timaru puts you in the heart of Timaru, within just a 10-minute stroll of Te Ana Maori Rock Art Centre and South Canterbury Museum. Highlights at this guest house include free continental breakfast and free self-parking. .This guest house offers free WiFi in public areas, barbecues and a communal living room. Added amenities include laundry facilities, a microwave in a common area and a fridge in a common area. Each morning free breakfast is served. .Places within a 15-minute walk of this 3-property class Timaru Central guest house include Timaru Public Hospital and Botanical Gardens.

What's nearby

  • South Canterbury Museum - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Te Ana Maori Rock Art Centre - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Botanical Gardens - 15 min walk - 1.3 km
  • Trevor Griffiths Rose Garden - 16 min walk - 1.4 km
  • Caroline Bay Beach - 18 min walk - 1.5 km

Getting around

  • Timaru Station - 5 min walk
  • Timaru (TIU-Richard Pearse) - 17 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Burger King - ‬13 min walk
  • ‪Sopheze - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Old Bank Cafe And Bar - ‬7 min walk
  • ‪The Bay Hill - ‬14 min walk
  • ‪Istanbul Turkish Kebabs - ‬4 min walk

About this property

The Fort. Timaru

Public spaces have free WiFi. Business amenities include meeting rooms and coworking spaces. Free breakfast is served daily. The Fort. Timaru also features barbecue grills, laundry facilities, and a communal living room. Free self parking is available.

Smoking is allowed in designated areas at this 3-star Timaru guest house.

  • 13 guestrooms or units
  • Conference rooms
  • Continental breakfast (free)
  • Self-service laundry
  • BBQ grill(s)
  • Smoking in designated areas
  • Microwave in a common area
  • Fridge in a common area
The Fort. Timaru offers 13 accommodations. Each accommodation is individually furnished and decorated. 42-inch Smart televisions come with satellite channels. This Timaru guest house provides complimentary wireless Internet access, with a speed of 250+ Mbps (good for 3–5 people or up to 10 devices).

Similar properties

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • In-room WiFi speed: 250+ Mbps (good for 3–5 people or up to 10 devices)
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Free secured, uncovered self parking on site
  • Limited on-site self parking

Food and drink

  • Free continental breakfast available daily 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM

Family friendly

  • Laundry facilities

Conveniences

  • Laundry facilities
  • Shared microwave
  • Shared refrigerator
  • Virtual front desk

Business services

  • Coworking space
  • Meeting rooms

Outdoors

  • Barbecue grill
  • Outdoor furniture

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • No lift
  • Well-lit path to entrance

More

  • Communal living room
  • Designated smoking areas (fines apply)
  • Electric bike charging

Room amenities

Entertainment

  • 42-inch smart TV with satellite channels

More

  • Heating
  • Individual decor
  • Individual furnishings

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; check-in end time: 6:00 PM
Minimum check-in age - 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

There is no front desk at this property
Guests planning to arrive outside normal check-in hours will receive an email within 48 hours before arrival with check-in instructions and smart lock details; access will be through a private entrance
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 24 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation
Prior to arrival, you must complete online registration via a secure link
You will be asked to provide the property with a copy of your passport after booking
If you are planning to arrive after 3:00 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation
A virtual front desk provides assistance to guests
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Access methods

Private entrance, smart lock

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.

Payment types

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business or profession. This property accepts Visa and Mastercard. Cash is not accepted. For guests' safety, the property includes a fire extinguisher in all accommodation.

National rating

Property class, provided by our rating system, is based on property type, amenities and services.

Frequently asked questions

Is parking available at The Fort. Timaru?

Yep, The Fort. Timaru has a free self car park.

How much does it cost to stay at The Fort. Timaru?

As of 22 June 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at The Fort. Timaru on 23 June 2026 start from AU$102, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

Are there any beaches close to The Fort. Timaru?

Yep, The Fort. Timaru is a short 17-minute walk from Caroline Bay Beach.

Does The Fort. Timaru serve breakfast?

Yep, free continental breakfast is offered daily from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM.

Is there a free airport shuttle available at The Fort. Timaru?

No, The Fort. Timaru does not offer an airport shuttle service.

What time are check-in & check-out at The Fort. Timaru?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM. Check-out time is 10:00 AM.

Are pets allowed at The Fort. Timaru?

No, pets are not allowed.

The Fort. Timaru Reviews

Reviews

7.6

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 8 out of 22 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 6 out of 22 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 22 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 22 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 22 reviews

8.4/10

Cleanliness

6.8/10

Staff & service

8.6/10

Amenities

8.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

Verified

6/10 Okay

Wayne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Backpacker style accommodation at premium rate.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2026
Verified

8/10 Good

HELEN

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very good room, street front but not noisy, good bed and pillows, didn’t realise that check in is by prearranged code and was very relieved when my call was promptly answered and we were admitted easily. Was a little nervous bout the Shared bathroom, but worked out ok. Great kitchen and laundry facilities.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Geraldine

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent facilities. Prompt responses from Host.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Steve

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great place, close to town
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

Steve

A
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2026
Verified

8/10 Good

Lisa

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved the modern makeover on an older property, tasteful decor No frill, room, bed was comfortable, only complaint was only one pillow each on a Queen bed, shared washroom and showers were a different experience, but just fine. Did not meet any staff, was all automated. Continental Breakfast was fine also.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2026
Verified

4/10 Poor

Trish

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
The room was so tiny you did not even have a side table. However, the bed was comfortable and room was clean. The bathroom was recently renovated (SHARED BATHROOM ONLY) and kitchen was not bad either (shared only) The lounge area was so musky and we could not sit there because it was so smelly. Overall, we would not stay again.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2026
Verified

8/10 Good

Martin

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very convenient location but rear parking lot is challenging to enter and exit due to very narrow access. Room was clean and comfortable. Excellent communal kitchen facilities, with basic breakfast items provided for guests. Overall amenities are excellent for younger guests but not ideal for seniors. Numerous steps and stairs are difficult for people like myself with some mobility issues. Likewise, showers have slippery floors and no grab handles. Nonetheless, I would give a firm recommendation.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Rebecca

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We stayed in the 1 bedroom apartment with our 2 x kids on the fold out couch in the lounge area. Great value for money. The facilities were excellent: comfy bed, good shower, kitchen with dishwasher & full size fridge. The apartment was lovely and spacious & sunny & quiet. Would recommend this to other travelers.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025
Verified

6/10 Okay

Normandcathy

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
Never saw any staff all the time we were there Breakfast very poor.Will never come back or recommend anyone.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

Anthony

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great accomodation, nice and clear instructions and amenities. The only gripe with the stay was the upstairs hallway outside the bedrooms had a horrible smell of old cigarette smoke both mornings. Whether that was coming through the heat pump or what I'm not sure.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

Donna

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Our room was nice and tidy and modern. Kitchen area had everything you needed, a nice kitchen. It had hot drinks, cereal and toast provided. I'm Gluten Free (Coeliac) so didn't have any breakfast but my Husband did. The place is modern, a bit expensive though with shared bathrooms etc Only one thing that was annoying, we wanted to stay another night, I rang the phone number provided a week earlier, the staff member told me to email the extra night required through the Booking email. It was never responded to nor booked for us. Apart from that we recommend this accommodation.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025
Verified

4/10 Poor

Barbara

Disliked: Staff & service
This property presents itself as an upmarket guest house, however, due to complete lack of any staff interaction, it feels unwelcoming and sterile.The rules restricting what guests can and cannot do during their stay made it feel like a youth hostel. Even worse, if you have a problem, neither of the phone numbers given are answered. The booking system is unnecessarily complicated and did not work for us. Our room (No3) was noisy and we were woken up at 6.am by a workman doing something around the property. We have stayed in numerous similarly priced properties in NZ, but I regret to say The Fort was our least favourite and rather overpriced for what it offered. If you are happy sharing toilets, showers or kitchen facilities with strangers then you might feel more at home here than we did.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025
Verified

6/10 Okay

CHUNG CHIEN

我們4個人入住,竟然只給2條浴巾!
Stayed 1 night in May 2025
Verified

6/10 Okay

Christian

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Stayed 1 night in Feb 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Yesha

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025