HOTEL REVIEW: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Santiago, Chile

HOTEL REVIEW: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Santiago-Vitacura Chile

Over Columbus Day Weekend last year, my husband and I went to Chile.  As we typically like to stay with Hilton over other hotel brands, we decided to stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Santiago Vitacura  located in the commercial and financial district.  Overall, the hotel was very nice and was more in line with what you might expect of a regular Hilton rather than a DoubleTree.  We would definitely consider staying here again.

Check-In

The check-in was pretty smooth.  During our stay, there were times when the check-in desk was busy, but this was largely because of an APEC Summit and an INTERPOL conference.  The check-in staff was friendly and very helpful.

Parking

A positive for this property is that parking is free, and no pass is required.  The downside is that every time you want to leave with the car, you have to go to the front desk and get a validated ticket.  This can sometimes take a couple minutes if there is an influx of people checking in or out, so make sure to plan accordingly if you’re heading somewhere on a timeline.

One issue we had was the directions given for the parking garage (we rented a car) were rather unclear.  This wasn’t a language barrier, due to the fact my husband’s first language is Spanish and the directions were in Spanish.  Because of that, it took us about 15 minutes to find the parking garage.  For reference, the parking garage is on the side street to the right of the hotel when you face the main entrance.  I’ve highlighted the general area of the garage in the map below.

Location

The hotel is located in the commercial and financial district, about a 30-minute drive from Airport Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez.  Given the location, there were a lot of businessmen at the property.  The location is great if you are traveling on business, but not as great if you’re looking to explore the more cultural areas of Santiago (i.e. Plaza de Armas and surrounding area).

While the central part of Santiago is only a few miles away, it took us 45 minutes to get there in an Uber.  Traffic was terrible going to that part of town, as well as when we returned.  Scooters are not available because you cannot park them in the area surrounding Plaza de Armas.

It’s also well located to visit the Casablanca Valley wine region, which we took a day to explore and go on a self-guided wine tour.

That being said, there was a number of good restaurants and bars within walking distance (less than 1 mile) from the hotel.  You can read more about that in our trip report from Chile.

Room

We booked a King Room, but were upgraded to the King Junior Suite because of our Hilton Diamond Status.  The room was very nice and spacious.  The bathroom was very large, though I’m always disappointed when there isn’t a bathtub!  There was a sitting area with a chair and couch and desk, which was separated from a partial wall where the bedroom was located.  There was a refrigerator in the room, which was stocked with minibar items.

The room had amazing blackout curtains, and the windows also kept out most noise.  We slept very well with no disturbance at all, despite the fact the hotel is located on a main street in the financial district.

Breakfast

My biggest criticism for the hotel was the breakfast.  Breakfast for Diamond Members is in the Executive Lounge (more on that below).  There was very little to choose from aside from salmon, bagels, cereal, bacon, eggs (scrambled and boiled).  The eggs were completely unappetizing and very watered down, and the bacon looked very discolored and unappetizing.  We actually chose to cross the street and get Dunkin Donuts instead one morning due to the lack of options for a good quality breakfast at the lounge.

Restaurants/Bars

At check-in, we received two drink tickets redeemable for a selection at the bar, Bar 2727.  The drink ticket allowed you to choose between a pisco sour, beer, or white or red wine.  It was disappointing that the pisco sour was not available because they ran out of limes that day.  It was disappointing that one of the four choices was unavailable due to a lack of limes.

We did not eat at the restaurant and only spent a limited time in the bar.

Room Service

Room service was prompt and regularly priced for a Hilton’s room service menu.  I tried the spaghetti Bolognese, and my husband had the cheeseburger.  The portion size of the spaghetti was smaller than I’d like, but the taste was good.  The burger was edible and filling, but nothing to write home about.

Executive Lounge

The lounge at the hotel is probably my favorite part of the stay.  I’ve never seen a lounge at a Hilton that has access to drinks 24/7.  The beer, liquor, and wine were all available any time the lounge was open.  They also allowed us to stay at the lounge after we checked out as we waited to head to the airport.  The lounge was large and spacious with a great deal of seating.  It was also regularly empty, even during happy hour.  This made it a quiet spot to just hang out and relax before heading to dinner or while waiting to head to the airport.

They did have a happy hour every day, which included some finger foods like salad, shrimp, cheese, meats, and crackers.

Overall Impression

Overall, I’d definitely stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Santiago-Vitacura again.  The hotel was clean, and the staff was friendly.  The location wasn’t perfect if you’re traveling to spend every day in the central part of Santiago, but we spent two of the three days there outside of Santiago so it worked for us.  There was also great bars and restaurants located in proximity to the hotel.