Hotel Colonial — Hotel in Salamina

Decent place to stay in Salamina, and there are lot that many places to start with. The price for a private double room was 70,000 COP. Breakfast is included, but like all the food in this town, was unseasoned and the drinks were over-sugared. It’s actually really surprising the complete lack of any culinary expertise in this town. I’m not trying to be a judge Westerner, but seriously, the food is severely lacking, and A vegetarian would not be able to eat out at any restaurant in this town. The hotel has been around for a while and has a very cowboy/rustic feel which we appreciated for what it was. Since the hotel is on the square, next to a bar, it stays loud until midnight most nights, and even longer on the weekend. Bring ear plugs or request a room in the back. The rooms were big, with daily refreshed towels. The shower is an electric style which did not get that warm.

Still, for one of the cheapest rooms in Salamina, I think it was a good value. You MUST got to La Samaria, valley of the wax palms, which is much better than Cocora Valley in our opinion. It’s far more scenic, fewer tourists, sustainably managed, and run by a very kind family. Heck, you don’t even have to go to the mirador and pay anything, just take a bus to San Felix and walk up to just before the mirador. If you didn’t do this hike, I’m not sure why you would stay...

From the brightly coloured shutters, to the creaky and loose floorboards, Hotel Colonial offers a certain charm. The rooms were spacious and clean and although the shower wasn't overly hot, it at least offered some warmth. The value for the price was good. The room we had faced the side street so offered a great view of the surrounding hills in the morning. Unfortunately there were a few downfalls which prohibited us from offering a higher rating. On our last day there while we went for breakfast, they came in and cleaned our room. Although we had yet to checkout, the towels and soap were removed. Luckily we had supplies of our own which enabled us to still be able to scrub up after using the bathroom. Due to no fault of the hotel, there was a constant parade of motos roaring up and down the streets till all hours of the night and trucks and buses early in the morning. The walls were paper thin and we could hear the couple in the next room speaking softly. It was almost like they were laying next to us. But the quaint charm of this hotel still made for a great stay in a truly beautiful...

Stayed at Hotel Colonial in July with two friends while travelling in Colombia. Triple room with ensuite is basic accommodation, but the budget price matches. Friendly staff and located right on the Parque Bolivar. ||Salamina is off the tourist route - a 2 hour journey on a windy road (beautiful scenery) from Manizales and up to 5 hours bus from Medellin. We were rewarded with a nice little town - colourful buildings, very friendly locals, and an authentic experience (we've seen no other "western" tourists). ||As they are not on trip advisor I must include our wonderful experience at Fruty Caffe just across the park from the hotel on Calle 4. Stopped in for a juice and our friend who speaks Spanish struck up an animated conversation with the owners. The cafe has the best coffee served in town - it is from their own Finca. Lovely experience and example of Colombians' friendly...