ATARDECER DE SALENTO — Hotel in Quindío

Summary: The room is a superior value. Views of the city are stunning from this location. Maria and Antonio were very helpful to us during our stay. There is also a very friendly and very big cat prowling around. And have a cup of coffee too!!||||After I booked my Medellin trip, I saw a YouTube video that featured Salento, Cocora Valley, and this gem of a find. It was the beauty of the area and this hotel's vibe that ultimately sold the idea of a full day trip to Salento with airfare. To waste no time, I went to the trees prior to checking in.||||As you walk from the main plaza, you spot the location to the left of the stairs that ascend toward the mirador. Near the bottom of the steps, you will see a small sign pointing you down a dark uphill path. Lucky for my travel partner and I, we were greeted by the "meows" of the cute chunky cat that guided us towards the kitchen. The views overlooking Salento and the cat kept my buddy occupied. I went up and down the second floor stairs looking for the reception. ||||Eventually, Maria found us and offered a free cup of coffee as she took our passports away for the usual procedure. Each room seemed to be locked with a simple padlock. She handed us the key before tending to another couple who just arrived. The room is minimal and rustic in feeling. An extra blanket and a flower-folded towel were placed over each bed. The TV was broken but I didn't come here to watch TV. And my Spanish is passable for Colombia travel. The usual desk and cabinet to finish off this part of the room.||||In other websites, I saw reviews mentioning a lack of toiletries (soap,...) and notifying Maria/Antonio about hot water. With some fiddling, my shower had hot water. And there were toiletries. Fair warning: Ice cold water given the mountainous high altitude. After settling in, I relaxed on a hammock until Maria was finished dealing with the couple. She was helpful in reccomending restaurants (ie. Andrea) and where to play Tejo (ie. Los Amigos). But she didn't know how to arrange an early morning (6:00 AM) return trip to the airport at first.||||After a wonderful meal and a boozy round of playing Tejo (Although similar, this is easily better than playing cornhole in the USA because of all the EXPLOSIVE GUNPOWDER), I was stressed figuring out how to get to the airport. And to my surprise, Maria and Antonio were there to the rescue. She and Antonio went above and beyond the call of duty for us. With Google translate, the driver quoted a price that exceeded my expectations. Knowing what other places charge via booking sites, I was a happy man with that price and service.||||I thanked them both for being so helpful. And I hugged Maria before she left for home. Next morning, we woke early and sipped some beers in the patio. The views of Salento are stunning. The driver, Antonio, and the cat came looking for us. We paid for the room and said our goodbyes (even to the cat). And we left for Pereira. ||||Looking back, it's their helpfulness that drove me to write this review. It's the overall experience that taught me three things: 1.) You will never experience the beauty of Salento in one jam-packed weekday. 2.) Know your transport options like overnight buses from major cities. 3.) I must return to Atardecer De Salento for all future Salento WEEKEND trips. And God knows there...

Positive: Location is great and view from the place is also nice. We got coffee when we arrived. We argued some of our money back. But asked for half price (I mean...for leaking ceiling to my bed I shouldn’t pay at all!!) but they gave me back just 1/3. Negative: Where to start...this was the worst accommodation we had in whole 2,5 months trip. Seems like the owners don’t care at all about this place. There are no proper walls or ceiling it’s all wooden with lots of holes - both in floor and ceiling. It was raining and the water leaking from ceiling woke me up. The bed was wet. The floor was wet. Walls were wet. Nightmare. The kitchen is more like a joke because sorry it is so disgusting to cook. Yes - the price is cheap. But...we stayed in many cheap accommodation like this in Colombia and all had at least some standard but this...

This is a very rustic and basic hostal, but it has all the basics you need to spend the night. We got a room with private bathroom, and the beds were comfortable. It has a rustic kitchen for preparing a quick meal should need to. The location is super convenient (at the end of the main street, just before the steps towards the overlook). At night it was a bit noisy because there is a restaurant/bar accross from it where they play live music, but you get used to the noise. There's wi-fi and the hosts are super helpful. You need to walk a little steep slope and some steps to reach this place, so it may not be convenient for people with mobility conditions. For the price, it is a really good deal. Just don't expect luxury...