Art Hotel Boutique Medellín — Hotel in Medellín

Let me first start this review by saying that Art Hotel Boutique is not a HORRIBLE hotel. It's fairly clean, and the hospitality provided is...adequate. But there's a lot left to be desired by this hotel, which--worry not--will be outlined here.

As was written before, it is in El Poblado, which is the heart of Medellin--however, there are a LOT of hotels in El Poblado, and Art Hotel isn't in a "better" area than others (unless you're coming to take part in the horrifically foreigner-infested and over-priced nightlife by the Parque Llera). Also, as was written before, the WiFi is SHODDY--you have to constantly sign back in. And finally, yes, the gym is disgusting.

Here's where my take on this comes in, and what makes a stay at Art Hotel so deeply...unsatisfying. Art Hotel WANTS to be upscale, and they want to provide you with that fluidly nonchalant hospitality that marks hotels of 4-star status. But they fail. Here's how:

1. Diana Raquel hassled us about providing more than 1 room key, even though we had paid for a three-person room. Than, she made checking-out a hassle because she wanted to know the whereabouts of the second room key...which was in the room. I don't understand how this type of "micromanagerial" attitude communicates "good customer service."

2. There was a cockroach in our room. Granted, the space is concrete and has some "outside components" but...definitely something that could be avoided by some proper pest maintenance.

3. THREE front desk personnel gave us the wrong address for theatre tickets that THEIR concierge service reserved for us: if you're GOING to provide concierge service, at least do it somewhat competently. I ended up wasting two hours going downtown to the Teatro Metropolitano when the theatre was actually in Poblado

4. This is probably the most infuriating. Upon check-out, they REFUSED TO PROVIDE US WITH A FINAL RECEIPT. I asked Diana Raquel multiple times to provide me with some type of evidence that our account had been closed, and condescendingly, she merely kept smiling and saying that "nothing can be done! I can't provide you with anything! you have to go through the online service that you used!" If this is true, than Art Hotel Medellin must practice some of the most antiquated and inefficient business practices known to man. I really can't believe that a hotel WOULDN'T provide you with a final receipt to indicate that your account had been closed!

5. We asked for the "shuttle service" to the airport. What a mistake. The shuttle service isn't provided through the airport, and you have to pay the driver separately--THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD INFORMATION TO PROVIDE FOREIGN VISITORS WHO AREN'T EXPECTING TO HAVE TO CARRY A LOT OF CASH. Not only that, but we were told by the hotel that it would be 60.000 colombian pesos (again, by Diana Raquel) and the driver told us it was 65.000. 5.000 pesos isn't that big of a deal, but truly, a very aggravating experience.

Final word? Go somewhere else. There are tons of hotels in Poblado that are charging equal amounts for much better service than the nickel-and-diming aggravation that Art Hotel Medellin has decided to manage...

The hotel is centrally located and despite being in a very busy area (lots of bars and restaurants), it is tucked away on a side street, providing a quieter area which is great to have minimal noise.

The entire property from the lobby, to the room, to the breakfast area on the top floor is all modern, clean, and well decorated. It's a very stylish hotel, and incredible value for what we paid.

The rooms are really nice, with a comfy bed, spacious bathroom/shower, and a large tv with streaming services.

The breakfast included at the hotel offers a good variety of options, and you can order barista coffees from the bar as well.

Though only a minor issue, the presentation of a lobby bar which is not operational is a bit misleading to guests. Despite presenting a stylish and fully stocked bar in the middle of the main floor, I was advised it was not functional. Maybe this is only temporary, and got lost in translation, but to have this only for decorative purposes and shown in hotel photos isn't the most honest representation of available amenities.

Another minor issue was the in room water provided. A glass corked bottle with a card advising this is filtered water and the green initiatives and benefits it provided were included. As it contained less than a litre of water, two of us easily went through this halfway through the day, and I went down to request a refill, only to be advised there was a charge for this. Being that it was late and I didn't want to head out again to buy more from a shop, I agreed. The bottle arrived, with a loose fitting cork, and like the first bottle, tasted likely to just come from a tap somewhere. For a hotel presenting as a nice boutique property, it's not great to charge for basic filtered water. Providing drinking water to guests should not be an extra charge, especially when it is not properly bottled spring water or anything like that.

Despite some minor issues, overall was a very good stay and...

I really appreciated the aesthetics of this hotel---Definitely my type of vibes. This is my second time staying at this place but this time with my sister. The first time was with my father and his dog. It was totally a last minute stay and the hotel staff was super accommodating and warm. My father and I talked so much about this hotel to alot of our friends and family thats how great they were. However, this second time, the front desk wasn't so welcoming. My sister and I waited a whole hour and 15 mins before checking us in. It was not busy at all since it was midweek. It was simply because I paid through a third party agency and the person who was supposed to verify the payment was not in the office??? It was like pulling teeth with the front desk lady who was not explaining anything to us. She just sat us there and we waited and waited in an empty hotel lobby. The Front Desk lady wanted to charge my card again but I did not let her because why should I be charged twice for a one night stay? It just didn't make any sense to me but she tried to make it seem like I was the problem. I even signed into my bank account to show her that I was already charged for my stay and given a confirmation number. She made no sense, the whole situation made no sense. Ultimately, the Front Desk lady was cold and rude and did not apologize for the inconvenience that was literally out of our hands. That lady definitely gave my sister a bad vibration on the hotel. Luckily, I will not judge this beautiful hotel and the rest of the staff because of one bad apple. I will definitely give them another try in the future and I just hope I don't bump into that bad apple...