Hotel Mellati — Hotel in San Antonio

Our ship was departing from Valparaiso Chile. For reasons not known the embarkation port was changed to San Antonio. Accommodation had to be cancelled and re booked. This hotel came up on a web site. The appeal for me was that it said airport shuttle. The web site description of the property left me in no doubt that the hotel would be adequate but not flash. I went ahead and booked. After surviving all the hurdles Santiago Airport has to offer we found Cecilia sister of the Hotel owner waiting for us with the driver. We eventually fitted our luggage, Cecilia, the driver and lots of Christmas presents into the vehicle and off we went. A very interesting drive and the hotel was as pictured with a very good vantage spot over the port. No lift but a porter who carried the cases. He looked somewhat tired at the end of this.Simple check in and no hassles with credit cards as they do not take them. Marcello the owner was very welcoming and two cold Heineken in bottles were readily provided(the last bottled proper beer we had for nearly four weeks). The room was small. The bathroom was old but the water was hot. Proximity to the town was excellent and it was a fascinating place. A good fish market on the waterfront which attracted amazing sea creatures and birds. Many street musicians and a display of very colourful dancers added to the festive atmosphere. An amazing breakfast in a dining room which over looked the port. Internet was excellent. We were referred to the restaurant next door. This was great despite the staff having no English or prices on the menu. Cecilia took us to the port for check in and that service was included. If you have to join a ship in San Antonio, be brave and give this Hotel a try. You will enjoy a whole different experience and see what a small place...

Our cruise ship, Emerald Princess, was originally to depart from Valparaiso, Chile, a town with an abundance of nice and reasonably priced hotels. Due to a dock workers strike, the embarkation was moved to Port San Antonio which is a very rundown town without as many options.||||We settled on the Mellati for US$100 through Booking.com. It appeared to be a quaint family-owned property that would serve our purpose for one night. I have to say that Marcelo Mellado, the owner, was very gracious and accommodating. He greeted us with a smile and a spirit of hospitality that made us very comfortable. He even arranged to have his sister pick us up in Santiago and bring us to the hotel for US$172 (a little expensive but okay).||||The accommodations, however, were somewhat disappointing insofar as they were very small and run down - but clean. It reminded me of some of the pensions I stayed in on a backpacking trip to Europe many years ago. It was nonetheless adequate for a one night stay.||||The hotel did include a breakfast of cereal, toast, yogurt, and cakes in the price, and we were provided with a ride to the ship about 10 minutes away.||||I hope Valparaiso gets over the dockworker strike so cruise ships might return.||||All-in-all, this hotel served our purpose for one night after an all-night...

We stayed here for one night prior to a cruise. The ownership had just changed but I understood it was still within the same family. This is a family owned hotel and they are great! Very helpful with everything from carrying our luggage up the stairs to making sure our wifi was working correctly. Also gave us a choice of which room we wanted. They are wonderful people as are all the staff. The breakfast is delicious and they will cook eggs for you to go along with the breads, meats, etc that are served. The ladies taking care of breakfast are the same ones that clean the rooms. Very nice family run operation. Also located right across from the ocean and the cruise dock. They arranged for a very reasonably priced ride to the cruise dock. The negatives are that the rooms are small and a bit rundown. Bathroom had some mildew in the shower. But, they do not claim to be a 5 star hotel and go out of their way to be helpful. They have fast free wifi in the common areas but we were not able to receive it in our room. Not sure if all rooms are the same. To be honest, there are not many places to choose from if you want to stay in San Antonio prior to a cruise. we would consider staying again if...