This is the view from our room. As you can see, something is being constructed directly in front of it. The first thing that strikes you about Christchurch (or did back in 2017) was that the entire city seemed to be like a construction site in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake which destroyed or severely damaged many of the city's buildings.

When researching a later image I found that the building is the Christchurch City Libraries (also known as Tūranga), which has obviously been completed since we left. The building rises only about 3 stories, so it doesn't block out the views of those staying in the Novotel tower. (Looking at it now, we must have been on one of the lower levels.)

Granted the view doesn't seem to be particularly spectacular at the moment, but through the haze you can see the Southern Alps in the distance.