Hotel y Departamentos El Castillo Niebla — Hotel in Valdivia

I've stayed here several times over the years. It's about a half hour from Valdivia, and you're right on the coast in Niebla, near an old Spanish fort. It's hard to get to the coast in the Lake District, so it's quite a treat. There are many good seafood restaurants in the area, including a couple right across the street from the El Castillo.||||The original hotel itself is an impressive, restored 19th century German building. They've put a nice addition on which contains apartment units. It blends perfectly into the old architecture, and the extra room (including kitchen) is great, especially if you're travelling with your family. Everything is clean and comfortable, and the apartments have great views of the bay. Prices tend to be quite reasonable for the quality of the accomodations. They have a small pool on premises, but it wasn't operational during my Christmas-time visit.||||The only thing that might interfere with your sleep are the town's night-time barking dogs, which seem to have multiplied over the years. If you're sensitive to noise, a set of ear plugs would be a good idea.||||Otherwise, the only negative about the hotel is the breakfast -- at least to this Norteamericano. It's always bad, but I think most Chilean breakfasts are. Basic ham, cheese, toast, jam and instant coffee. If you can get a lower price without breakfast, I'd...

We learned of Castillo Niebla from a travel article describing it as a boutique B and B. Reviews here on Tripadvisor (old reviews) describe it in glowing terms. However, the sad reality is that the old German house is in a state of total disrepair. We should have left when we saw the termite-eaten siding by the entrance. It is true that it is furnished with furniture from maybe 80 years ago, it looks very u comfortable and I doubt anyone ever sits in the living rooms. |Our bedroom was in the annex, built more recently. The carpeting is frayed and looks dirty. The room was adequate but not comfy. The bedding was the cheapest blankets and comforters from Walmart. The bathroom floor is very slippery, my husband narrowly escaped a bad fall. The bathmat you place inside the tub was poor quality, a thin plastic thing that rumples up. |Breakfast was poor. The breakfast room is unappealing, the tables and chairs cheap. The food was scarce, the bread was hard and doughy, the coffee was instant coffee. |We only stayed one night, instead of the two we had intended to. And anyway, the town of Niebla has very little to offer except to the very lowest budget tourist. |We do not recommend this hotel or the...

With a strong US dollar, the Castillo offers excellent value these days. You get a 19% discount (the tax) if you are a foreigner and pay in cash (dollars). I'd recommend the newer apartment units over the original historic rooms: they are larger, more comfortable and have great views. My apartment cost less than US$50 -- a steal. This is a very good, boutique property.||||My only hesitation in recommending a visit is that the dining scene in Niebla is pretty bleak these days. The better of the two seafood restaurants across the street has closed. I understand there is a good seafood market with prepared foods in summer, but it was closed when we visited in late November. For breakfast, there wasn't even a bakery in town. So I'm not entirely sure it's worth the detour from a Lake District trip. That said, if you were planning on visiting Valdivia, this is a good place to stay as it's only 15 minutes away from town and MUCH more scenic and relaxing. While many locals come to Niebla for the beaches, foreign tourists will probably only be interested in the old Spanish fort, and the...