Tried & Tested

Hotel check: Ritz-Carlton, Santiago

13 Nov 2009 by Mark Caswell

What’s it like? This grand five-star hotel opened in 2003 and is a well-established property in Santiago. The restaurant, Adra, is very popular with the locals.

Where is it? It’s located right in the heart of the financial district, El Golf, which is also known as “Sanhattan”. It’s about 45 minutes from the airport, taking into account the traffic.

How many rooms? There are 205 rooms including 49 Club rooms, three Club suites, 12 Executive suites and a Presidential suite.

Room facilities My Deluxe room had classic modern décor with a king-size bed, large desk and easy chair, a minibar, safe, and high-speed internet access (USD$15 for 24 hours). There were good views over the city, and the bathroom had a bath with a separate shower, and a large mirror and sink area.

Restaurants and bars Adra offers Mediterranean-style fare, and chef Tomás Olivera serves up some superb dishes, paired with wine. When I was there on a weeknight, the restaurant was buzzing at 8pm, as it is popular with locals as well as guests in Santiago. This is also where breakfast is served and there are brunch and lunch options too.

Wine 365 offers 365 white and red Chilean wines. The Ritz-Carlton bar is a cosy area with huge sofas and comfortable chairs at several tables. As well as wine, beer and champagne, it serves a variety of cocktails. I ordered “the Journalist” but it was far too strong, so I told the bar manager and she swiftly took it away and asked what I would like instead. The service was exceptional and the different areas make it a lovely place to relax after a day’s work. There’s also a lobby lounge that serves high tea.

Meeting and business facilities The hotel provides more than 800 sqm of meeting space within its ten conference spaces, including the Grand ballroom that can accommodate about 350 delegates, two boardrooms and two foyers for break-outs. There’s also a business centre with a meeting room for ten people. There is wifi internet access throughout the hotel, also charged at USD$15 for 24 hours.

Leisure facilities On the 15th floor is the stunning 836 sqm rooftop health club with the heated indoor pool under a glass cupola with great views of the Andes and Santiago. There’s a gym and spa treatment rooms, and a sundeck on the roof terrace.

I had a Senses massage, which started with eating a chocolate and then, while I had a gentle massage, the therapist rubbed coffee into my hands and feet and sprinkled the grains on my face. It finished with a glass of red wine. It was interesting but if you want to really feel pummelled, it’s probably worth going for something a bit more traditional.

The hotel offers some interesting activities, such as tours of the city by bicycle and a special wine bath, which involves a butler filling your bath with hot red wine, to help draw out any toxins. When I had it, I came back from dinner to find it prepared for me, with herbs scattered around the bath and a half bottle of wine on the side. It was a very relaxing experience, but the only downside was that in the morning the room smelled of wine and the tub was stained red.

Verdict The service in this hotel was very attentive and the restaurant and spa are huge bonuses. For business travellers with meetings in the financial area, the location is spot on, and it’s not far from downtown.

Price Internet rates for a midweek stay in December started from US$320 for a Guest room.

Contact Ritz-Carlton, Santiago, Calle el Alcalde No 15, Las Condes; tel +56 2470 8500; ritzcarlton.com

Felicity Cousins

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