Casa Del Reloj — Hotel in Medellín

I have just returned from one of the more magical trips I have been on. Every year, I take the family (wife, kids, their spouses or significant others) on a vacation. We’ve been all over-from Paris to Costa Rica to Napa, etc. This year, at the suggestion of a friend, we tried Medellin. He suggested we stay at the Casa Del Roloj. What a find!! The pictures don’t do it justice. Because we like to stay at a place with the bedrooms attached to a common area rather than a typical hotel where there is no place for us to congregate. This set up, an apartment with four bedrooms, seemed ideal. It was.

Due to the year-round mild climate, the living room is, in part, roofless. The indoor/outdoor combination was sensational. The bedrooms were very nice and air conditioned. The view from the upper deck was great. It was as nice of an experience as we have had anywhere and the kids (aged 23-30) loved it. But, there was more. The building is located in a quaint area with literally dozens of great restaurants and bars. It was quiet and lively at the same time. We felt safe and the locals were very friendly toward Americans.

The highlight, though, was the level of service. The owner, J. P., was wonderful. He would walk us to restaurants if we didn’t know how to get there. He knew all the locals and would help translate the menus. He helped put us in contact with tour people. But more significantly, when my daughter had bad back spasms after a workout that she feared was a disc problem, he immediately took us to a clinic that specialized in such problems and stayed the entire time so he could facilitate the communication between my daughter and the Doctors. Wow!!

Overall, the apartment and Medellin were a 5 star experience priced (due to the exchange rate)...

Perfectly located! There are lots of restaurants, bars, and shops within walking distance. The room itself was beautiful - we stayed in the Jardín room, and it was wonderful to come back to ample space after a day of sightseeing. It was also great to have a laundry machine in the unit!||||The staff is helpful and SO kind. Elena reached out to me well before my arrival date, and helped coordinate transport from the airport. She also was very generous with her time, and talked with my stepmom and I to orient us to the hotel and the city before our room was ready.||||The only reasons that I’m giving 4 instead of 5 stars is because, 1) the hot water in the showers was inconsistent (as in, wouldn’t stay hot for more than 2 minutes or so before turning cold, though the heat would come back after a few more minutes). Not a huge deal, but after a day of sightseeing, having a consistently hot water is really helpful. And 2) we were abruptly woken one morning at 4am by construction. Not anything that could be ignored - the house literally shook at times, and it was genuinely impossible to sleep. I know this almost certainly out of the hotel’s control, but it really did put a dampener on the morning, and it would have been nice to have been told that this might happen if they knew about it in advance.||||All-in-all it was still a great stay and I would happily pick this...

This is my home away from home! I’m a frequent visitor to Medellín and I’ve been fortunate enough to spend a great deal of time at Casa Del Reloj. It pains me to let you know how enjoyable this place has been and how friendly and hospitable team Ivan and Elena have been because I truly want this to be my “secret” getaway. It’s selfish, I know, but you’ll feel the same once you’ve had the chance to make this your home for a little while. The location is perfect! Surrounded by restaurants, great coffee shops, boutique retail establishments and several parks. A very walkable part of the city! The apartments are different and unique. Come and enjoy but keep this one our...