The best accommodations Colombia

Budget & Tips

As a general rule, accommodation rates are affordable in Colombia, compared to other destinations in the region. Those on a budget will opt for a hammock or a bed in a dormitory (between $25 and $75,000). A comfortable double room with private bathroom costs between $100,000 and $300,000. For luxury, there's no limit. Prices also vary widely by locality. There are big differences between accommodation in the historic centers of Cartagena and Popayán, for example.

In classic hotels, rates are given per room (single, double, triple, quadruple...), with the exception of all-inclusive establishments (full board, drinks, activities...), found mainly in San Andrés, or on the islands off Cartagena.

Inhostels, prices are quoted either per room, when private (with or without private bathroom), or per person when sleeping in a dormitory. Breakfast is often included for private rooms, more rarely for dormitories, where a supplement of $10-15,000 is charged.

Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, but sometimes incur additional charges (around 5%). Rates are quoted in Colombian pesos, more rarely in US dollars (except for the most expensive establishments, or certain hostels). It's best to pay in pesos, as the exchange rate is rarely favorable when paying in dollars.

To be booked

Hotels are very busy most of the year. It is therefore important to book your nights in advance, especially during the high season: Christmas and New Year's Eve (mid-December to mid-January), Holy Week (variable, between late March and mid-April) and during the many public holidays throughout the year. There are also local school vacations in June, and European tourists arrive in July and August. Also take into account the dates of major religious, cultural, or sporting events. For the Carnival in Barranquilla, book your hotel room several months in advance!

Be aware that some reservation platforms, such as Booking or Expedia, may indicate that an establishment is full, while rooms are available if you contact the hotel directly. The rates are generally the same or even cheaper if you contact the hotel directly.

What's very local

Hotels offering in-room heating are rare, even in Bogotá where the nights are cool. For hot water, you often have to wait a few seconds. Conversely, in the warmer parts of the country, while air conditioning is commonplace, many establishments have no hot water in the showers. After a few days, you'll be convinced that it's all for the best! Another important but not very glamorous clarification: as everywhere in Latin America, in the vast majority of hotel toilets (but also restaurants, private homes, etc.), used paper must be disposed of in the waste garbage can provided, and not in the toilet bowl, at the risk of clogging the drains. You'll soon get used to it, you'll see!

Finally, to avoid any surprises, you should know that in Latin America, a motel is not a roadside hotel, as it is in the United States, for example, but a place where discretion is de rigueur. You arrive by private car (or cab), directly into a box that gives access to a room, without having to go through a reception. Whirlpool bath, mirrors, mini bars... Everything you need to spend a pleasant moment with your partner, whether official or not, and, above all, not to sleep! Motels are often located at city entrances, or in certain neighborhoods known for them. In case of doubt, the romantic name of the establishment and its flashing red kitsch sign should tell you what it's all about!

For food lovers

Breakfast is usually included in the room rate, but it may sometimes be extra, so check carefully. Breakfast is served either as a buffet (don't arrive too late, or you'll only get the leftovers!), or at your table. There's often a choice between the classic continental breakfast, with cereals, toast, butter and jam, orange juice, coffee or chocolate, or the more Colombian breakfast, with the indispensable eggs, which you'll be offered(huevos fritos), scrambled(huevos revueltos), or pericos if you add tomato and onion to the scrambled eggs. Arepas and rolls are served with hot chocolate or coffee (with or without milk, respectively coffee or tinto). Fruit salad, with papaya, banana or pineapple, is also part of the combo, sometimes with a freshly squeezed juice (mandarin, tomato de arból, etc.). More traditional regional breakfasts are rarely offered in hotels. For a changua (milk and egg soup, onion and coriander) typical of Bogotá and the central Andes, a calentao paisa (red beans from the previous day mixed with rice, fried meat and eggs, and a plantain) in Antioquia, or a tamal, which can be found just about everywhere (with regional variations), head for the panaderías (bakeries) that serve as cafeterias.

Smokers

Smoking is prohibited inside hotel establishments, including in gardens, by swimming pools, on bar and restaurant terraces, and of course in rooms, even on balconies.

Tourist traps

The big hotels often offer excursions at much higher prices than if you contacted the agencies directly. The same applies to cab services, which are more or less VIP. This is less the case with youth hostels and small hotels, where the advertised prices are generally the same as with a direct agency.