- Thread starter eltigre
- Start date
Hotel Colonial
It's a very nice little city hotel and good service. Check HODELPA Hotels & Resort - offers accommodations suitable for you, from luxurious business hotels to 24 hours all inclusive beach front resorts ! for some more info.
Its a dump and the surrounding area is pretty seedy at night, spend a little more money and stay elsewhere
I believe the OP is talking about the "other" Hotel Colonial...in Santiago. I haven't seen the newest section, but the two other sections are barely "1 star"...and the neighborhood is pretty sketchy...for about $60 you can stay at Aloha Sol, Matum, Platino, or the new Hotel Century Plaza...all worth at least twice the price of the Colonial, IMO...
I've stayed in the new building. It's clean and nice... it better be, seeing as it was brand new. I prefer the location of Aloha Sol, so I'd go that route. The neighborhood around Colonial may not be as nice as some other areas, but I think it's fine. Describing something as sketchy or seedy is pretty subjective, I suppose it all depends on what you are used to. With that said, if given a choice, I'd rather a better location.
the colonial is worth the price if the folks around the area are seedy i still think the hotel is worth the price. and i think the management also try to please the clantal Lazaro and victor are good people
Both hotels are in the same area, but the colonial is next to a couple of hotels that charge 100 pesos and less a night, catering to the laborers in Santiago, also Hotel Lima is right on the corner and their disco is where the taxi guys look for prostitutes and eat pollo dinners for 80 pesos in the chinese restaurant. Further up on Cucurrullo is a barrio where hard tigres hang out in the street and on the other end there's a couple of very low end bars with a billar. And we know who hangs out in billars, hahahaha.
p.s. I've read the above from Lonely Planet
IMO, from la 30 de Marzo up to the monument between Las Carreras to Cal del Sol is all downtown and more or less safe. Sure, there is a poorer area behind the Hotel to Carreras, but I have walked this whole are and it is no problem.
Also, RD80 is a normal price for a meal here and I eat at places like this all of the time and as far as Tigres go, this place is no worse that El Ejido where I used to live and visit almost weekly. It's so "bad" there that you can go walking around by youself late at night no problem, young single women and old ladies included. ie I doubt the police take lightly to tigueres messing up the "tourist" section of Santiago.
Also, RD80 is a normal price for a meal here and I eat at places like this all of the time and as far as Tigres go, this place is no worse that El Ejido where I used to live and visit almost weekly. It's so "bad" there that you can go walking around by youself late at night no problem, young single women and old ladies included. ie I doubt the police take lightly to tigueres messing up the "tourist" section of Santiago.
The Aloha Sol is directly on a major street, with banks and other upscale businesses across the street and all around it. Whether they are 500 meters or 5000 meters apart, the two areas are VERY different.
If you are on a very limited budget, The Colonial may be for you, but it is located in an area that feels like a bad neighborhood and the as I said, the two original buildings are NOT very nice...and the price reflects it...someone expecting much more for $25 a night is kidding themselves...but from what I understand the new building is quite a bit more expensive...closer in price to the other hotels I mentioned...if you're going to pay that, why would you choose the Colonial??
If you are on a very limited budget, The Colonial may be for you, but it is located in an area that feels like a bad neighborhood and the as I said, the two original buildings are NOT very nice...and the price reflects it...someone expecting much more for $25 a night is kidding themselves...but from what I understand the new building is quite a bit more expensive...closer in price to the other hotels I mentioned...if you're going to pay that, why would you choose the Colonial??
I wouldn't take anything Lonely Planet has to say to heart.
Their book on Colombia was written by a guy who never visited the country, and the company's response to this revelation was, "Well, the information in the book is accurate".
I purchased it before this notification and noticed that they have no information on places to eat and hotels to stay in, so for all intent and purposes it was useless. Now I know why.
Then again, I have a friend who travels frequently to Colombia, has family there and they are equally as useless.
Whenever I ask them any questions about accommodations and other travel-related stuff, they also don't know.
This is when you realize what a valuable source of information DR1 is.
Their book on Colombia was written by a guy who never visited the country, and the company's response to this revelation was, "Well, the information in the book is accurate".
I purchased it before this notification and noticed that they have no information on places to eat and hotels to stay in, so for all intent and purposes it was useless. Now I know why.
Then again, I have a friend who travels frequently to Colombia, has family there and they are equally as useless.
Whenever I ask them any questions about accommodations and other travel-related stuff, they also don't know.
This is when you realize what a valuable source of information DR1 is.
RE: Area around Hotel Colonial.
For all of you "newbies" and that means everyone on this board, except me: the area around the Hotel Colonial, is not a bad area. In fact, some of Santiago's finest families live just a block away (or rather "lived" in some cases). I am talking 'top of the line' families. I am talking about the best of the best.
Like many areas, that fringe along 30 de Marzo catered to baseball players seeking low cost housing during the season and salesmen trying to reduce expenses. The corner place, across from the old Texaco station called "El Bor?nquen" was run by "chinos" as a hot bed hotel...
Today the area caters to a middle class demographic. You can eat cheap, you can "get it on" if you are in the mood. I doubt that there are many "tigueres" in the area...
For me, the hotel offers the best buy for the buck. Like Super 8, or Days Inn, you get what you pay for...
HB
Safety is not an issue in that area.
For all of you "newbies" and that means everyone on this board, except me: the area around the Hotel Colonial, is not a bad area. In fact, some of Santiago's finest families live just a block away (or rather "lived" in some cases). I am talking 'top of the line' families. I am talking about the best of the best.
Like many areas, that fringe along 30 de Marzo catered to baseball players seeking low cost housing during the season and salesmen trying to reduce expenses. The corner place, across from the old Texaco station called "El Bor?nquen" was run by "chinos" as a hot bed hotel...
Today the area caters to a middle class demographic. You can eat cheap, you can "get it on" if you are in the mood. I doubt that there are many "tigueres" in the area...
For me, the hotel offers the best buy for the buck. Like Super 8, or Days Inn, you get what you pay for...
HB
Safety is not an issue in that area.
I would like to add that I am not in any form or fashion trying to knock the Hotel Colonial, Lazarus, Victor and his father are nice individuals and great Hosts. You get what you pay for and RD500 a night is great for budget travelers. I was pointing out what you will see when you exit the Colonial in comparison to what you will see when you exit the Aloha Sol at night, no more no less. Tourists traveling with their families may not want to see certain things.
Cheers,
Cheers,