It was after 10pm when I arrived at the Ladera Hotel on a residential street in Santiago’s Providencia district, and the imposing stone facade at the entryway gave the property a fortress-like feeling. Staff buzzed me through both exterior and interior doors, into the lobby of this sleek and modern boutique hotel. And despite the somewhat intimidating exterior, the staff at the reception desk were helpful and welcoming.
Compared to the Hotel Magnolia, a Santiago boutique lodging in a historic 1929 building that mixes old and new, the Ladera, which opened in 2016, is 100 percent contemporary.
The hotel commissioned local graffiti artist Mauricio Inostroza, who goes by the name Fisek, to create colorful art work throughout the hotel, including a 25-foot-tall vertical mural that hangs adjacent to the elevator.
Besides the artwork, one of the hotel’s best features is its rooftop terrace with a long narrow swimming pool and a lounge with an honor bar. Up here, the city feels miles away.
The 36 guest rooms are chic and comfortable, though not large, with dark black-brown furniture and colorful accents. A glass panel with an interesting abstract pattern divides sleeping and dressing areas. The beds are very firm but comfy, with reading lamps on both sides, and more of the vibrant graffiti-inspired artwork above the headboard.
Wi-fi is complimentary and available throughout the hotel. If you don’t have a local SIM card for your mobile phone, the hotel can provide you with a Chilean cell phone for the duration of your stay.
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Rooms have mini fridges stocked with complimentary water, soda, and juice, as well as one-cup Nespresso machines. Other amenities include satellite TVs and in-room safes.
The contemporary bathrooms are designed with a dressing area, where the large, sloped-basin sink and a stand for towels are located, and two separate cubicles with frosted glass doors housing the toilet and the shower. Toiletries are from L’Occitane, and robes and slippers are provided.
Rates, which typically range from US$150-210/night, include breakfast, which is served beginning at 7:30am and continuing all day — a nice touch for late sleepers or jet-lagged travelers (though unfortunately, I had to leave to catch a flight before breakfast service started).
The Ladera is somewhat removed from the more commercial sections of the Providencia district. It’s about a 10- to 15-minute walk from the Pedro de Valdivia metro station, crossing an overpass above the Mapocho River.
The hotel provides bicycles for guests’ use, at least for those guests brave enough to tackle Santiago’s often congested streets on two wheels.
But if I had a chance to stay a little longer at this stylish boutique hotel, I’d start by admiring the cool artwork, then head upstairs to the pool.
Hotel review by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. The Ladera Hotel, in conjunction with Turismo Chile, hosted my stay for review purposes.
