RQ Express Santiago

Getting picked up on the quieter side street would be easier if you're arriving with bags. The other entrance opens onto a busy road with buses and pedestrians. We spent five nights here in June 2025, during our Winter 2025 trip to Santiago. The hotel is only a couple of blocks from the presidential palace, but the area didn’t feel as safe as that might suggest. Whenever I stepped outside to book or catch an Uber, well-meaning strangers warned me to hold my phone tightly because thieves on bikes might snatch it. The hotel occupies about four or five floors of a 22-floor condo tower. It has its own breakfast area, though from our room on the 21st floor we mostly looked at other office buildings. Housekeeping even washed our dirty dishes, and the staff kindly stored our bags after checkout on the last day, before our 11 pm flight to the USA. There’s also a tiny bathroom you can use once you no longer have your room. My main complaint was the internet: it was extremely slow and unreliable. I’m a Google Fi customer, so I used its international plan instead.

The staff were kind, the apartment was nice and very clean, and the location and view were lovely. They cleaned daily and replaced the sheets and towels. But this is an apart hotel, so there’s no room service beyond the cleaning, and you can’t buy anything there, not even water. What they call breakfast is a snack delivered the day before: one serving per person of instant coffee, bread, ham, cheese, butter, juice, cookies, fruit, milk and yogurt. The WiFi was terrible and usually didn’t work. The shower sits inside something called a bath, though it isn’t really a bath, and I found that setup a bit dangerous. There were no kitchen cleaning supplies like a brush or soap, and only one of each utensil per person, such as a plate, spoon and knife, so you’d have to reuse things without washing them. For what they offer, the price is too high.

We had a separate sitting area and a fully equipped kitchen in our modern room, and stayed for seven nights. The hotel is right by the Presidential palace, very central, and set inside an enclosed courtyard with good security. Parking is underground and watched by guards around the clock. The staff knew their stuff and spoke good English. Breakfast was a hearty buffet with plenty to choose from: cold cuts, cheese, marmalade, several kinds of cereal and yogurt, plus scrambled eggs. The WiFi was good and free. I’d highly recommend it.

The room was clean and comfortable, and worked fine for what I needed, even though it could use a fresh coat of paint. Breakfast was great, and the staff were truly fantastic. The hotel is close to both metro and bus stops. I’d stay again if I’m back in Santiago.