Hotel del Cid — Hotel in La Serena

My wife, son, and I just completed a 6 day stay at Hotel del Cid in La Serena, Chile. We really enjoyed our stay. The highlight for me was the pleasant host couple who own the property. John and his wife make you feel like you've come to visit family (but family that has a staff that cleans your room each day, makes you breakfast each morning, leaves you alone when you would rather be left alone, visits when you want to visit, and knows so much about the area that they always offer perfect advice!). Breakfast was nice - coffee / tea, juice, toast, cheese, ham, and yogurt to start your day. Also, the hotel and grounds are very secure and the area is safe. If you have a car with you the parking lot is inside a high gate which is accessible only by patrons of the hotel. The pedestrian entrance is also protected by a security system and code accessible only by hotel guests. ||||The hotel is in a very nice, quiet part of town, minutes by foot to many great restaurants, parks, and town squares. This includes the art-lined street Francisco de Aguirre, and the beautiful old buildings and churches that make up the area around Plaza de Armas and the old part of La Serena (The Serene). It's a quick 5-10 minute car ride to larger supermarkets (Lider) and to the beach where there's always lots happening, including many more good places to eat. When we wondered about a great activity for a cool, misty day on the coast, John was quick to point out a drive through the Elqui Valley would be in order. He was right! In a span of about 10 km the weather turns from cooler and temperate along the coast to clearer and hotter. Desert takes over just over the hills to the east of the city. The valley itself is an amazing oasis in the desert fed by irrigation water collected by run-off channels which feed main irrigation canals to allow for a great diversity of vineyards and vegetables growing in a narrow strip between very dry mountain ranges. We were impressed with the beautiful views, irrigation systems in the valley, and again, the friendliness of the people. When looking for a place to swim in the ocean, we found La Herradura Beach to be awesome for swimming as breakwaters keep the waves to a minimum. John also suggested some areas just out of the La Serena area for beach days, but with some much needed rest and relaxation in our plans, we weren't able to find a day to head out of town the 30 km (20 mi) or so to try out some of the small town / beach hospitality. Next time! ||||If we're back in La Serena again there is no doubt about where we will stay. Take my word for it - this place...

I stayed 4 nights in this hotel. It is clean, the rooms are located in the internal part of the building and are opened to a courtyard full of trees and plants including a very high palm. The staff was always gentle and helpful (they called the airport to ask for my luggage that had been lost). The breakfast is not buffet, they serve you at the table so thew choice is quite limited. But anyway all the food was good and fresh.||The town is also nice and have beautiful beaches (the water was very cold but some surfers were there) and lots of excellent restaurants. The hotel is not close to the beaches, you will need a taxi to get to the Avenida del mar. The city centre is close and can be reached by feet in 10 minutes. There you will find many shops and an open market (La Recoba) with traditional foods, clothes and souveniers for very...

We stayed here on Chriistmas Eve and 1st January. This has a lovely courtyard and secure parking and the rooms are clean and comfortable and situated in the centre of town. We thought that a large resort like this would have lots going on over the festive season but we were wrong, it was dead on both occasions, but John the owner suggested Coasta Real hotel for dinner on both nights which I highly recommend if you find yourself in La Serena over Xmas or New Year, it was excellent value for money and good food, we would have really struggled to find somewhere to eat if it wasnt for this place. John the owner is a really nice, helpful guy; thanks for all your help John, as you suggested we went to Tongoy after we left you and it was wonderful. Heulwen...