My on-going consulting work with Great Value Vacations recently brought me to one of South America’s most interesting vacation destinations, as I help the GVV team to develop exciting new Colombia vacation packages (the consulting I did with them for Panama has resulted in some really great deals that include airfare and hotels, so stay tuned for some cool options for Colombia, too).
After a productive visit to Cartagena, we hopped on an Avianca flight to the capital city of Bogota, for several days of hotel site inspections and a day at Anato and the Colombia Travel Mart, a giant tourism conference. We stayed at Hotel Morrisson 114, a small, upscale property in a pleasant neighborhood. This is a review of my experience.
THE STYLE: A handsome, conservative style characterizes this Bogota hotel, which has a small, elegant lobby where attentive and friendly service seems to be the standard for interaction. (Morrison is an upscale Colombian hotel brand, with two other properties in Bogota; the “114” in this hotel’s name refers to the street where it’s located. Bogota is home to a wide variety of international hotel brands, but you’ll also find some noteworthy local brands as well, like this one.)
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COLOMBIA TRAVEL TIPS: Hilton Cartagena Offers Resort Experience Near Historic Center (and its where Obama stayed)
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GUEST ROOMS: I stayed in room 303, a nicely sized space with a king bed, work desk and a pleasant palette of brown, lavender and green tones. I liked the wall-mounted TV and — even more — the printed guide showing all TV channels (why can’t all hotels provide a channel guide? Nothing more annoying than running through every single channel just to find the news!). The bathroom is large with a walk-in shower and amenities by Earle Grey.
One point of caution: WiFi service was spotty in my room on both my iPhone and my MacBook; when I asked at the front desk they very quickly checked the routers and said that they were working, but that sometimes Apple products had problems with their WiFi system.
If you feel like a first-hand tour of my room (as well as some bilingual conversation with viewers), feel free to check out my highly unedited, unscripted rebroadcast of my live Periscope tour of my hotel room at the Morrisson 114, now on YouTube.
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LATIN AMERICA TRAVEL TIPS: Go to Jail! 6 Weird Prisons That are Now Museums in Latin America
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HOTEL FEATURES: All room rates at this Bogota hotel include a very satisfying breakfast, which includes a buffet of fresh fruit, hot and cold food and eggs prepared on demand and served at your table. The hotel also has a business center with computers, fax and printer; it’s open 24 hours a day. Business travelers can also make use of four guest rooms. Guests at the Morrison 114 get free access to the BodyTech gym, which is located 900 meters from the property. The on-site restaurant serves dinner, with a focus on Greek cuisine. A few restaurants and amenities like banks are within walking distance of the hotel.
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LATIN AMERICA TRAVEL TIPS: How to Take a Breathtaking Andes Mountain Hike Through South America
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BEST FOR: Business travelers as well as leisure travelers looking for an upscale Bogota hotel in a quiet environment. Prices start at about $74 per night (although you can probably get an even better deal if you shop using LatinFlyer’s travel search engine, or buy a package that includes air through Great Value Vacations).