One night at the garden inn, bogota

Having arrived quite late into El-Dorado airport after 22 hours in the air, I found myself having taken the short straw in the immigration queue (I have this uncanny knack of always picking the slowest line). So it’s fair to say I wasn’t of a mindset to deal with a negative situation with any tolerance. 

Luckily, the hotels side of things ran like clockwork. Their complimentary hotel shuttle runs every 30 minutes at 10 past and 20 to the hour, and can be found outside gate 5 on floor 2(departures). there are 2 blue canopys you need to wait under, and thankfully I didn’t have long to wait.

Getting to the Hotel

The shuttle took about 7 minutes, and was modern and clean, with plenty of space.  

The shuttle pulled up outside the hotel which is located within the extended airport “campus” so shares its locations with various warehouses, and industrial units. Not the more alluring of locations, but lets be honest – it’s an airport hotel, and my total stay is going to be less than 10 hours.

It does boast views of Monserrate mountain, which is a nice benefit.

Hotel Overview

The building itself is a good size, and in well kept condition, and the reception hallway is quite cavernous and dark.  Dark woods, taupe walls, warm lighting, all give a bit of a depressing feel to what should really be a light and airy space.

As an airport hotel, its facilities are somewhat limited, but still plenty for the time anyone is really expected to stay for. The property boasts 189 rooms over 10 floors, a small bar, a restaurant, a gym, a business centre and meeting rooms.

Overall it reminded me of an American airport hotel, both in style and design. But I suppose thats not too much of a stretch. I do think it could have been livened up however with a splash of colour that Colombia is so famous for.

Check in

Check in was easy enough. The gent behind the desk was efficient, took my passport to scan, asked if I wanted to pay cash or card (and looked surprised when I said card), and gave me my keys along with an explanation of the hotels facilities.  It was around 2245, and due to my Diamond Hhonors status, gave me two complimentary drink vouchers. And then proceeded to tell me the bar closed at 11. “Best get my skates on” I thought. He also handed me 2 600ml bottles of water, which were a godsend!

The Room

Unfortunately I wasn’t availed of an upgrade this time, and to be honest I really couldn’t be bothered questioning why.  So I checked into 1012, a king size room on the top floor with views across the city.

It was spacious and clean, however the dingy decor did seem to meander from the lobby into the rooms.  The fixtures etc were all good quality… just a little drab.

The bed was comfortable with 4 decent pillows, and a light quilt. Nothing to write home about, but it was clean, comfortable and afforded me a good nights sleep.

The room had plenty of sockets to plug in and recharge my power hungry tech, along with a large TV (which I could not get to work) and a clock radio. There was a desk with chair, and a chaise style armchair. Other than that, the room was pretty space, but at least it gave the feeling of space.

The wardrobe was filled with decent quality wooden coat hangers, along with laundry bag, iron and ironing board.  No slippers or robes unfortunately…

By the front door was a coffee station with a further bottle of complimentary water, and an espresso machine. I do love a proper espresso machine – there is no need – in this day and age – to make people suffer with instant coffee!  There was coffee, sugar sweetener and creamer, but no tea.  I’m not a tea drinker so was happy with the offering.

The Bathroom 

The bathroom was again, a good size.  The walk-in rain shower was a promising addition, but failed to deliver any real pressure which was disappointing. The toiletries were pretty basic with shampoo, conditioner, lotion and a bar of soap. No shower gel which I thought odd.

There were 4 towels in total – of decent enough quality and a bathmat.

the sink was slab marble with a large mirror – perfect if you need to get ready

The Bar

I have to admit, at the level of delirious tiredness I had arrived at, I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to the bar. The barman was welcoming, and gave me 2 glasses of white wine in exchange for my complimentary drinks tokens.

They were busy making cocktails and pouring drinks for guests, and it was well-staffed, even for that time of night.

the bar itself was busy, although starting to dwindle away, but a good atmosphere, with some nice music playing at a good level, and TVs showing the days sport.

The one thing that caught my attention was how small the bar was for such a big hotel, but it does seem to do the job nicely, and there is ample seating out with and around the bar area.

The Breakfast

Breakfast for me is an intrinsic part of the hotel experience. I don’t eat very much, but I do enjoy a good browse of the buffet. At which point I’ll generally have my usual.

Not this time however.  

The buffet, as well as offering the usual array of fresh watermelon, pineapple, citrus etc, as well as cheese, meats, pastry and juices, the one thing that stood out was the lack of “english” style options. Bacon, Sausages, fried eggs etc.

However, taking up the space instead were some traditional columbian dishes, of which I just had to sample.

I had a bowl of muesli, coconut and yoghurt, washed down with watermelon and a couple mugs of coffee. I then decided to get adventurous and opted for Calentao, which is a heady mixture of rice, meat, lentils, potatoes and arepa. Absolutely delicious, and reminded me a lot of the dish “stovies” which we have in Scotland.

I also has a couple of arepa cakes which didn’t hit the mark quite as well. They were a bit dry and stodgy for my liking, but that didn’t stop me polishing them off.

Service at breakfast time was excellent and attentive. Too attentive – I was scolded for pouring my own coffee.

All in all it was a decent breakfast. Not in my top 50 by any stretch, but there was a good range of options, and all in plentiful supply.  Just perhaps lacked a bit of imagination.

Every member of staff I interacted with was both professional and friendly. They also indulged my attempts to speak Spanish to them!

In Summary

A decent budget option if you’re arriving late or departing early, or if you have a long layover.  For me, and more than a couple of nights would be too much, as it is a bit of a trek downtown if you want to sample the local culture an/or nightlife.

Great value for money though. I paid £66 including taxes for my stay, and was given breakfast and 2 drinks as part of my HH diamond membership.