Hotels - Lima & Santiago

[JohnM]

I'd appreciate any information or recommendations for a hotel close to the airport in Lima and Santiago, particularly Lima as I arrive there at 2355 and fly on to Cuzco the next morning. Are there hotels nearby that run a shuttle bus to and from the terminal?

Also, any tips on how to tell who is an 'official' taxi driver (if there is really such a thing), or how to dodge the taxi drivr and tout swarm at arrivals in places like Santiago would be appreciated. I got pounced on last time and ripped off. Is there a taxi rank for the standard city taxis outside that's OK to use?

Muchas gracias.

 

[ColinP]

I can recommend the Diego de Velazquez hotel in Santiago. It's not close to the airport. (Are there any hotels close to the airport?) It's in Providencia but it was only a 25 minute ride in the hotel shuttle. The shuttle was free when I stayed there last year but I think that was a promotion for a limited time. Even if it cost more than a taxi (I doubt it) I would use it again just to avoid running the gauntlet at the airport.

http://www.hoteldiegodevelazquez.com/principal.htm

 

[cabbage74]

Depending on your arrival & departure times there is a bus service which I used several times. Bus will stop at one Metro/Subway station halfway through, and then terminate outside Los Heroes (said more like Aeroways) Metro is new, but doesn't run 24/7. Total cost for the Bus and Metro (separate tickets) is something like $A5.

To answer your Q. I don't know how to tell the official taxis. The only one I caught was arranged by the hostel, cost 10,000 peso to Bellavista. Yep, I use hostels so my knowledge of hotels in Santiago isn't great.

Mal.

 

[JohnM]

Thanks for the feedback.

Don't worry, I use hostels too!

It never ceases to amaze the young backpackers travelling on the bones of their backside that the guy sharing the room is travelling business class and has a rental car! I've had some great times and met some truly wonderful people that would not happen at the likes of the Hilton. I only stay at those sorts of places when travelling on business - and I've done enough of that to give me a gutful of them. They're a waste of personal $$.

I spend much, much more on an evening meal and sampling the better end of the local wine than I spend on the night's accommodation. Admittedly, it is easier to use hostels when travelling alone, but some have good double rooms.

In the case of my upcoming trip, I've only got overnight in LIM & SCL so I thought it might be simpler to get a hotel near the Aeropuerto, especially in LIM given the late arrival.

 

[dajop]

I can recommend the Diego de Velazquez hotel in Santiago. It's not close to the airport. (Are there any hotels close to the airport?)

http://www.hoteldiegodevelazquez.com/principal.htm

We stayed at the Hotel Diego de Almagro Santiago Airport. Five minutes from the airport with complementary shuttle (saves being hassled by touts). Typical airport style hotel, nothing flash but included breakfast. We got in at 8pm, left at 7am so this was ideal.

A watch for hotels in town, upon our second transit through Santiago (this time we stayed for 48 hrs) we had at 6:45am departure to BA, and being an international flight, we could not get a shuttle who would leave for the airport any later than 3:30am, and even the private transfers booked wanted to pick us up at 4am. As the airport is only 25 mins from town (less in the middle of the night!), we were there before they even turned the lights on at the LAN check in area! No such problem with the airport hotel though, the shuttles run every half hour so you just choose one to suit.

 

[ColinP]

We stayed at the Hotel Diego de Almagro Santiago Airport. Five minutes from the airport with complementary shuttle (saves being hassled by touts). Typical airport style hotel, nothing flash but included breakfast. We got in at 8pm, left at 7am so this was ideal.

A watch for hotels in town, upon our second transit through Santiago (this time we stayed for 48 hrs) we had at 6:45am departure to BA, and being an international flight, we could not get a shuttle who would leave for the airport any later than 3:30am, and even the private transfers booked wanted to pick us up at 4am. As the airport is only 25 mins from town (less in the middle of the night!), we were there before they even turned the lights on at the LAN check in area! No such problem with the airport hotel though, the shuttles run every half hour so you just choose one to suit.

One of the reasons I recommended Diego de Velazquez is they appeared to be well set up for airport transfers and we saw a lot of airline crews staying there. The shuttle had no schedule and AFAIK it was available at ANY time. (I think they just hired mini-buses as required) We nominated the time and the driver was waiting as we dragged our sorry a**es out of the hotel at some ungodly hour. About 4:00am IIRC.
It appears Diego de Almagro might might fit the bill for John M and I'll be making a note of it although I travel for pleasure, not business and if an overnight transit is unavoidable I like to stretch it to a few days and see the place.

 

[JohnM]

Thanks, all.

 

[Tiki]

Since I will be in this situation next year in Lima, I have done some research. There is a hotel called Manhattan Hotel in Lima with free shuttle bus. Most people use it because they are in tranist from international arriving late night to a morning flight to Cuzco or Puerto Maldonado. It's described as "OK for a night but don't go outside because the area is bad". Some people simply wait in the terminall until morning, you would have to check in 4am for a 6am flight to Cuzco.