Hotel Iquique Express

It's a clean, comfortable place to sleep when you're passing through. The facilities aren't luxurious, but it does the job. For me, it's mainly somewhere to go to bed.

The reception service deserves a special mention. They were excellent and consistently friendly. The breakfast buffet was complete, with fresh food. We booked the smallest room, 15m2, but it had two very comfortable beds, a desk, a small TV, air conditioning, and a spacious, well-kept bathroom. We had no trouble with hot water all week, and they cleaned the room daily. It's a 10-minute walk to the town center and beach. There's a Unimark supermarket across the street, a great pizza place nearby, and public transport is easy to find.

Breakfast was the biggest disappointment. There was hardly any variety, and almost everything had run out by the time we arrived at 9 AM. No fruit was available, and the only protein they brought out was a small plate with an egg. The service itself was fine, nothing special. Our room was a little small but adequate, and otherwise things were okay. Still, we were given a king bed instead of the two separate beds we'd booked. The bathroom was acceptable, though it had a strange smell I couldn't quite put my finger on. It felt like it had been remodeled without anyone taking care of the finishing touches, haha. The TV was a small, old-fashioned plasma. I switched from Ibis Budget because of the good reviews and now somewhat regret it. Would I come back? I'd have to think about it.

The central location made it easy to walk to several tourist spots around the city, and the rooms were spacious and comfortable. Customer service was excellent, and breakfast was tasty with plenty of options. One small downside: our room had no air conditioning, which is essential in Iquique's high temperatures.