The Singular Santiago Lastarria Hotel

Rooms and decor

Picture a cream Art Deco building from the 1920s tucked into a small lane in the heart of Lastarria — that is the first bit of charm here. It was designed by Enrique Browne, a Chilean architect known for blending classic European lines with a South American identity, and it opened in 2014 as the second hotel in The Singular group, after the success of The Singular Patagonia. All 62 rooms and suites are built around the idea of a trip back in time: warm tones, dark wood, brass lamps, Persian rugs, real leather furniture and Mapuche textiles. Bathrooms are roomy and finished in cream marble, with a long tub and a rain shower. Open the balcony doors in some rooms and you get a view of Cerro Santa Lucia or the terracotta roofs of the old quarter. Plenty of reviews praise the soft beds and the dense, European-style linens, plus a wood desk for anyone who has to open a laptop now and then. If you like a hotel with a sense of history rather than cold modern design, you will probably fall for this one from the moment you walk into the lobby.

Food and amenities

The heart of a stay here is the rooftop bar and pool, which has become a favorite spot for locals. The 360-degree view opens onto the Andes flanking the city to the east — snow-capped peaks in winter make a backdrop that is hard to match — while to the west you see the old-town roofs, Cerro Santa Lucia and Cerro San Cristobal. Around 5pm the sun sets and the orange light on the peaks is the shot everyone takes. The bar pours Chile's sharp pisco sour and local wines from the Maipo, Casablanca and Colchagua valleys at fair prices. The main restaurant serves contemporary Chilean food from a local chef, using seasonal produce from the Mercado Central and fresh seafood from the Valparaiso coast. Breakfast runs both a la carte and a small buffet leaning on fresh baked goods, seasonal fruit, and local cheese and ham; reviews single out the made-to-order omelets and homemade bread. Down in the basement is the spa, where treatments use essential oils from native herbs, alongside a steam room and a small sauna. Wine fans will find a Chilean tasting room that runs regular workshops with the hotel sommelier.

Location and getting there

Location is the real trump card. The hotel sits in the middle of Lastarria, the bohemian quarter where locals come to wander on a day off — artisan cafes, independent galleries, a few quirky bookshops and kitchens run by a younger generation of chefs. Step out the door and you hit cobbled lanes lined with places worth stopping at. Parque Forestal, the green strip along the Mapocho river where the city comes to run and picnic, is a 3-minute walk. The MAVI contemporary-art museum and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes are both a few minutes away, and Cerro Santa Lucia — the hillside park you can climb for a free city view — is about 8 minutes on foot. Bellas Artes station on Line 5 is roughly a 4-minute walk, dropping you at Plaza de Armas in the old center or in Bellavista — home to La Chascona, the house of poet Pablo Neruda — within a few stops. From Arturo Merino Benitez airport (SCL) the drive is about 30 minutes. Planning a day in the Maipo wine valley or at a ski resort in the Andes? The concierge can arrange a car and guide, all in one place.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The complaint that comes up most is that standard rooms run small for a 5-star price — this is a boutique in an older building that had to keep its original structure, so most rooms aren't as wide as a brand-new chain. For a longer stay, or if you simply want space, upgrade to a suite or Junior Suite, which is noticeably bigger and better value. Second is the buzz of Lastarria itself — this is the most fun quarter in the city, especially Friday and Saturday nights, with restaurants, bars and live-music spots open late. Street-facing or low-floor rooms can pick up sound from the venues below; light sleepers should ask for a high room facing the interior, and staff can sort it if you flag it ahead. Third, the rooftop pool is a small plunge pool, better for cooling off and photos than real swimming, and it only opens spring through summer (roughly October to March). Come during the southern winter (June to August) and you miss the swim — though you can still sit at the bar and take in the snow-capped peaks, which some say beat the summer view. Last, the add-on costs — breakfast buffet, bar drinks and spa treatments — run fairly high next to the spots in Lastarria itself; on a tighter budget you can walk out for a cheaper breakfast at the cafes nearby.

Our take

After reading through hundreds of real reviews across Agoda, Booking and TripAdvisor, The Singular Santiago Lastarria Hotel nails the mix of Art Deco charm, a location in Santiago's most fun quarter, a rooftop with an Andes view, and warm South American service. If your trip in your head is waking up to a coffee in the lanes of Lastarria, working through galleries and museums in the afternoon, a soak in the spa, then a pisco sour on the roof as the sun drops behind the peaks — this is a place that sticks with you. If what you mainly want is a big room and the best value per square metre, the modest standard-room size is worth a second thought, or look at a suite. Overall we give it 9.2/10, best for couples, design-minded travelers and solo travelers who want a boutique with atmosphere and a story over a big chain that may be roomier but short on character.