LeClerc Hotel has the refined air of a Parisian boutique hotel, in the midst of tropical Cali, Colombia, the country’s home of salsa and exquisite Caleña food. The hotel was once the private home of a seven-sibling family, and when you step into the small lobby it’s like stepping into the living room of an old-money family with heirlooms to spare. Elegant dining tables set with delicate china plates, a small oil painting of a Bavarian village, and gorgeously antique mirrors hanging on the wall set the hotel apart from others in its category in Cali’s Granada neighborhood – a location known for its cool cafes and mid-century architecture.
Rooms cluster around a central patio with a fountain and hammock that I can’t imagine is used much by the elegant crowd that stays at LeClerc. Each room has its own small table for two in the hallways upstairs and down where guests can have breakfast, work al fresco, or just enjoy the warm weather. Fresh flowers in vases throughout the property and a blend of old and new decor touches in the rooms appeal to travelers with a bent towards intimate, pretty, and charming.
There are only 10 rooms and the room I stayed, a standard double, was by far the smallest at 20 meters square, it was cozy but I recommend a higher category for a little more space. For an old home, all the bathrooms have been redone and are modern and spacious, with two of them particularly fantastic. In the two presidential suites closest to the street (each around 40 meters square), former street-facing balconies have been converted into indoor/outdoor bathrooms, with plenty of privacy, but also a tropical feel that can usually only be found at a beach hotel. These two rooms will give you the most space to spread out with king-size beds and seating areas en suite.
Courtesy of LeClerc Hotel
Junior Suites are slightly smaller variations (between 25 and 35 meters squared) and the standards (which come in double or triple varieties with two or three beds) are well-suited for a myriad of arrangements that a group traveling together might need. Breakfast is included in the nightly rate and you can sit anywhere in the property you like to enjoy it. It’s a full breakfast of fruit, eggs, orange juice, and coffee, and while not mind-blowing, it was very decent for a hotel breakfast and the staff was extremely eager to please — willing to bring us different options from what was on the menu.
The setting is delightful as well, especially if you can sit outside your own room up on the balcony. There is no other meal service unless pre-arranged with the hotel in advance. All rooms also include lockboxes, bath products made by the brand Pharmacopia, and most include a mini bar with several types of beverages and snacks inside (for a cost).
The hotel owners have gone to great lengths to make the hotel as eco-friendly as possible so you will find no AC in the common areas, only in rooms, an attempt to conserve water, and what I was told were low-energy consumption levels across the hotel’s facilities. An expansion into the back part of the property is planned which will include more rooms and a swimming pool.
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For a cozy stay in a decadent little boutique hotel, LeClerc is the place you want. With accessible pricing (rooms run from 75 to 100usd a night), this hotel’s facilities are a step above those of other similarly priced options in the area. Leclerc has a great location for exploring one of Cali’s most lovely neighborhoods and even has a cool cocktail bar tucked into a remodeled garage downstairs.
Book a stay at LeClerc or get more information at Expedia.
The author was hosted by this hotel but her opinions are her own.
