Earlier this week we were given a short window of access to enter the hotel and retrieve bags and items from rooms along with records. Items were removed from all rooms and are now being filed and stored. The next stage will be to contact guests with regards to returning these items.

Christchurch City Center is still off limits, with the cordons now closing in closer to the center. The hotel still remains in the “Red Zone”. At this time there is no understanding when the hotel will be open for business.

All reports are of a very badly damaged city. More areas around the Red Zone are being opened up. Haven’t heard from officials that we can enter, but we have now heard of a scheme to help hoteliers. With the appropriate sign off from engineers to allow safe entry, we apparently could get access sooner. The program to remove food waste was trialled and a new approach worked on. Unfortunately there was a big earthquake last night, the biggest since Feb 22nd and this may hold matters up again. We are close to Easter, so that coul figure. Hopefully not to long now.

Hello. It is April 8th and the situation has not changed at all. There is apparently further planning to arrange for access to hotels in the earthquake Red Zone, but no official information has come as to when this will be. We await that. It is frustrating, but the situation is truly a disaster zone and it has been apparent that some don’t comprehend what that means.

We have no access to computer records, there is no power there, no office, no staff, no access for insurers to start assessment work and so on. We do our best to give helpful information, but we just can’t operate in any form at present. There is information that part of the front of the building was damaged and this quarter will need to be rebuilt. Again, until we have access we can’t do any engineering assessment. All very difficult!

Thank you for your understanding. We don’t have a chain office elsewhere or anything of the like. Major and big issues first and then on from there. As previously noted, we are in the interim closed. We will advise guests as soon as we have access and can arrange with you for retrieval. It is going to take time to assess when the hotel can re open. Any change will be immediately notified on this website.

As at Tuesday March 29th, the situation has not changed. We still have no access and the arranging of getting guest goods back, is still a way forward. We will advise, as soon as something happens.

The hotel remains unaccessable as at Sat 19th March. Messages are best

left at e mail address <tim@offthesquare.com> Apologies.

Hello everyone. Tim Nicholls owner of Off the Square here.

It is Tuesday the 8th of March and we are just surfacing. No power, water off, lots of problems in our homes. Now getting back to services.

Staff are all safe. The hotel is in the Red Zone and we are not allowed anywhere near there. The have started letting people in to the outer areas of the downtown cut off area, but all is too dangerous for our area, as yet.

We cannot retrieve bags , computers and so on. We will communicate at the earliest, once we know. For now the hotel is closed and not operating. The circumstance of that is going to run on for a long time. Who knows, at present, whether, even the biggest part of the hotel, which is again OK, it can be operated in the shorter term.