Hotel Maria Isabel Bogota

I arrived at this hotel straight from the airport at 5am. When I arrived they informed me that they had no reservation for me despite the fact that I had already paid for my reservation at home in England. Due to the time of day and the fact that I was a solo female traveller I had no choice but to pay again for a room. Once inside the room I was shocked. Only one light worked, it smelled and the throw on the bed was dated and damp. The carpets were filthy and the lock on the door very poor. I felt very unsafe and was booked in for two nights but left that morning and booked somewhere else. The only redeeming feature was friendly staff.

A simple hotel with very friendly and helpful staff. When we arrived around 1am we were immediately greeted by the doorman who helped with our bags. We arrived so late due to our first hotel falling through and were relieved when the staff was able to get us a room so quickly. They were also very helpful throughout our 3 night stay in regards to transportation and sites around the city. We never had to wait more than a few minutes for a taxi since some drivers hang out at a coffee shop just across the street! The laundry service was also very quick. The hotel is also located in a quiet neighbourhood with restaurants and bakeries near by.

First, a little background...When we first arrived in Bogota, we were picked up by family of my soon-to-be fiance. Originally, we had not planned on staying at a hotel (but that is a long and involved story and has nothing to to with this review). The first hotel our friend of the family driver took us too was HORRIBLE! The staff was nice (as was the cat that slept on the tv) but the rooms were small, dirty, the doors felt like a good wind would kick them in, and the walls must have been made with painted toilet paper. There were a bunch of young kids staying here as well, so it was loud. We told our family member that we needed to switch hotels as we did not feel comfortable here at all. They then took us to the Hotel Maria Isabel. It was definitely more than a few steps up from the first hotel (who's name I don't know because it wasn't written anywhere)! The reception was nice and the sight of a doorman was welcoming. We stayed in a double occupancy room. The room was modest, but it did have a mini fridge (that we made sure to plug in). There are no longer "mini bars" in the rooms (or at least ours didn't have one). It was quiet and comfortable enough. The bathroom was rather small, but that seems to be how they are in Colombia (maybe everything is just bigger here in America haha!). They even included breakfast at their restaurant downstairs (included with the room). It was very delicious! They also have a maitre d there. I believe his name is Gustavo. He used to work for Disney Cruise Lines and is fluent in English (if you need that). He helped us out with LOADS of information! He was definitely a plus! All in all, it was a decent place to stay, but for the price, I'd stay somewhere more close to downtown, where it would be a little cleaner (and easier/quicker access to shopping and such), unless you have someone to drive you around! (Although there is a Trans Milenio Station about 2 blocks from the hotel, if needed).