Aubrey Hotel in Santiago – A Memorable Stay to Put it Mildly

Have you ever been locked IN your room? On our first morning in Santiago that’s exactly the situation my husband and I faced. Not only were we locked in (the magnetic key stopped working) but the phone line was dead and it would be one heck of a climb up a 10 foot wall on our private terrace to get out.

I am not kidding.

Welcome to the Aubrey Hotel in Santiago, Chile – the only real boutique hotel right now in the city. This is the hotel that was on Conde Nast’s 2010 Hot List. Canada’s Globe and Mail called it an architectural and design masterpiece. I call it a beautiful boutique hotel in a superb part of town with great potential but…

We were in Room 15 – in the new wing.

The room is big but somewhat oddly configured. When we arrived it seemed like the room had been thrown together and wasn’t quite ready for people. There was a very comfortable king size bed, one bedside table, a small computer type table and chair and a flat screen TV. A huge glassed in shower just steps from the bed was empty of soap and didn’t look like it had been cleaned since the workmen were there. The toilet was in another glassed in cubicle directly across from the shower. If you come expecting privacy, throw that thought out. Walking outside took you to a private terrace with very high walls. Two chairs and a small table were present but no plants on the first visit. There was not one hook or hanger for clothing. There were no drawers so forget unpacking. And there was only one bedside table which is a real no-no in my books. It did however have very cool reading lights with full dimmer switches on both sides of the bed.

We did eventually escape our room thanks to Blackberry messaging. John pinned Ted (our friend who was expecting us for breakfast) and told him we were locked in …really. That got his attention and some help.

That was stay #1.

Management had agreed to a discount for me if I wrote a blog. So you would think that the management would be interested in a very good review. Apparently not.

We stayed one more night at the end of the trip, before flying back to Canada. Which room were we given? Yes. You guessed it – Room 15. With all the bad luck we’d had on the previous visit you’d think they would have put us in the main house, especially since we booked the rooms more than six months earlier. We opted to swap rooms with our friends and take Room 14 instead. Only one problem. All the locks had been changed so people couldn’t get stuck in their rooms anymore and they had done some repainting. When we opened the door to Room #14, the noxious odour of fresh paint was so strong my husband had an instant asthma attack. So back to room #15 which was somewhat less noxious. Staff brought us fans. The doors were kept open and the place aired out. John popped a Benadryl and that is how our second stay at the Aubrey Hotel started. In all fairness though, there have been additions to the room – plants on the terrace, another bedside table, and a big wardrobe. But that seriously was what our two stays were like at the Aubrey Hotel.

Here’s the good news.

The place was run down not that many years ago and the owners have done a superb job of renovating the MAIN hotel. I would happily stay there any day and don’t know why on our second visit we didn’t get a room there. There are lots of tastefully arranged seating areas throughout the hotel – both inside and out. Plus there is a very nice pool area with additional seating.

The hotel staff are superb. We dealt with two fantastic guys at the front desk who were exceedingly helpful and patient. In fact on our last stay we were offered a huge discount and a bottle of wine for all of our troubles. Apparently we weren’t the only ones complaining about Room 15. Management should be listening and responding to front line staff instead of trying to squeeze money out of rooms that aren’t ready.

At breakfast – which is included – the Somali ladies who work are a delight – cheerful and full of smiles.

The onsite restaurant, Pasta e Vino, offers memorable pasta dishes in a lovely setting. Fountains, ferns and night lighting ensure the mood is right.

And really you can’t beat the location. The hotel sits steps away from the funicular that takes you up to the Virgin statue. The rest of the Bellavista neighbourhood is well treed and full of cafes, young people and life. And if you’re feeling energetic there is no reason why you couldn’t walk to the Plaze des Armes.

Despite our unusual and I would say memorable experiences I would suggest a stay at the Aubrey Hotel – but ask for a room in the main building only!!

Useful Information:

Physical address: Constitution 299-317, Bellavista, Santiago
Phone: (+56 2) 940 28 00
Room Rates: $US240-$550 per night

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

***I was given a discount for all nights of my stay.***

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