Guide to the Hotels in Santiago, Chile

When visiting Chile you are, more than likely, going to end up in the city of Santiago. This is a city of over four million individuals, so there is a large amount of hotels. However, most of the activities you may partake in are located outside of the city, so typically you only need a few days in the hotel. With this in mind there is a wide range of hotel types available, although you may be surprised by the overall price of the accommodations.

Low End Hotels

Surprisingly, for a city of Santiago's size, there are few low end hotels available. Most hostels are actually going to run around the $50 mark (even if you book early). Low end hotels come with little to no perks, and many don't even have their own bathrooms, televisions or Internet service. If you are looking to save money on your trip through South America it is best to avoid Santiago.

Mid-range Hotels

The city of Santiago has a large amount of midrange hotels, but like the low end line the hotels are overpriced and don't come with many perks. Mid-range lodging starts around the $100 mark. These hotels usually have a bathroom and occasionally Internet access (although most still use dial-up). Most don't have additional amenities and, even if there is a breakfast provided it usually just consists of bread, cheese, yogurt and sometimes cereal. When looking for a mid-range hotel you want to find a hotel in the Providencia district. This is the safest region of the city and offers the most night life and restaurants. However, like the hotels, you are going to find most of the food is rather expensive, even more so than what you find in the states. There is little to no street food (except for the occasional nut seller), but if you want cheap meals near your hotel there are a few burger and sandwich shops that cost a few dollars a person (including a Coke and French fries).

High End Hotels

If you are looking for the standard amenities found in most American hotels (pool, wireless Internet, in room bathroom and full breakfast) you want to spring for a high end hotel. However, the price for these hotels are often four times what you pay in the states (hotel managers in Santiago know travelers to Chile must stay in the city, so they are free to charge almost whatever they desire). A majority of these top end hotels are located in the city center. Although most of the local government and business takes place in this area of town, there is little to no bars and restaurants open after the work day.