Hotel Alto del Viento — Hotel in Santander

This is a small, 14-room boutique hotel that has been open a couple of years.||Not colonial style, but more avant-garde modern cubic design. Rooms are spacious and I was impressed with spectacular views of the distant hills from the HUGE “windows” in the sleeping area as well as the bathroom area. But, these “windows” have no glass, nor screens...just shutters. I am sensitive to mosquitos that tend to love me, so I had to close shutters at night. Closed shutters mean minimal air flow into the room and the room got warm and stuffy because there are no ceiling fans or any fans to move air around. The other down side to the HUGE “windows” meant that my window in the sleeping area was adjacent to neighbors window in the bathroom. So, I could loudly hear neighbors bathing, talking, etc. I think for this same reason they do not have TV in rooms, even though it is new hotel and there is cable jack on wall for a TV. I think if a person had a tv on, neighbors would hear it clearly. The top floor pool is a lovely setting.||Staff is very nice, and very accommodating, but very limited in English, so knowing Spanish will be helpful for visitors. Mixed feeling also about location...up on a hill about a 15-min walk to the central plaza. It’s about 10-min walk along a dirt and stone paved “road” (more like a rutted wide trail) til you get to the edge of the edge of the main part of the town and then another 5 min to central plaza. If you don’t want to walk, you can get tuk-tuk motorcycle cab to drive you for about $2. I would be leery to drive a vehicle on the “road” to hotel unless it had high clearance. So, the plus is that it’s quiet and away from noise in town. This is probably one of the nicest places to stay in Barichara, but as in my title, I have mixed feelings about this...

I have been to Barichara about five or six times and this is definitely the best hotel I've stayed in. It is about 300 meters from town (five minutes walking), and has an amazing view. I personally loved having a drink in the terrace and getting some work done. The rooms themselves are very spacious, some of them having one king-sized bed and others with one or two more single-sized beds. They all have a very pretty view too, in particular the ones from the main floor. The first floor does not overlook the entire valley, but one can still open the windows and look at the garden in the center of the hotel, much like a patio. Regarding the service, the people are very nice (Dora, in particular, will definitely make you feel at home) and will aid you in anything you need. Plus, what I probably liked best was the decoration (centerpieces, sculptures, paintings), all made by the owner of the hotel. I also checked out a project the owner has been working on (montechico.org), which involves creating another space for an international and national community that is environmentally and socially aware in Colombia. If I were to go back to Barichara, I'd most definitely...

I stayed here for 3 nights in March as part of an explore Colombia tour. I fell in love with the hotel upon crossing the threshold. It felt like walking into a local museum/ someone's home. You can tell that an artist owns the property. The decor, big windows, plants, views of the mountains, classical music playing all added to this dream like spa like quality. I loved getting up early, helping myself to coffee and perusing the beautiful art books on the main floor. The patio with the bird feeders was one of my favorite spots. Breakfast was excellent. Arepas are fresh and tasty. Loved the local hot bowl breakfast. I think it is called caldo Santandar. Pool also amazing. Rooms elegant and simple. No A/C and was a bit warm my first night. Top quality sheets and pillows made up for this. Staff friendly and helpful....