Holiday Inn Bogota Airport by IHG

There was a great variety at breakfast, and the tables were always clean. Paula, Carolina, Jairo and Samuel served us with a smile every morning. Very good service from the team, and muchas gracias to everyone.

Families, stay elsewhere. I arranged this months ahead with holiday inn, sent everyone's names, and our two kids have the same surname as us. We travel internationally often. Our flight landed at 3am after an 11 hour journey, and I'd booked a family room so we could check in easily and sleep. I sent emails and lots of whatsup messages to make sure the room wouldn't be given away, explained that we'd be exhausted, and asked for a quick check-in. They said that was fine, with the usual passports and payment needed. At check-in they demanded proof that our children were ours, even though the kids called us mum and dad. Staff said it was hotel policy, but I showed them the website and couldn't find it there. They said the document requirement could be interpreted to include birth certificates. They also asked for US documents that don't exist in the UK, like social security numbers. I showed photos from the kids' lives since birth and school reports, but they insisted on birth certificates, social security or medical evidence, whatever that means. They didn't seem to understand the effect on our children, who asked why hotel staff wouldn't let us stay because we might not be their parents. We later found many similar reviews from people who were just trying to get a night's rest. The hotel even said we'd have to pay a cancellation fee. We walked to the marriot, where they took us in. They said they get lots of guests from holiday inn and that this isn't a legal requirement in colombia when surnames match, as it is elsewhere. At other places we stayed in colombia, everyone said this wasn't a legal requirement or practice. Our in house lawyer for colombia at work also said it wasn't legally required, and that we can seek compensation for this mistreatment. The hotel had plenty of time to tell us in advance, so we could have switched hotels beforehand. The experience was horrific. I've made sure no one from work stays here, and I've told my travel contacts so they won't recommend it either. You should be ashamed.

Everyone was friendly and treated us like family. Rodrigo was so kind while serving breakfast, and the woman who cleaned our room did a very thorough job. I didn't catch her name, but she left a sweet message and dulces for us :)

We showed valid Canadian passports for ourselves and our two minor children, but the hotel refused to check us in and insisted the kids needed original birth certificates. They said the passports weren't enough. We've traveled with our children through Canada, the U.S., Europe, Mexico, Colombia and elsewhere without encountering this demand. Even border control doesn't ask for birth certificates when children have valid passports for international travel. The staff invoked “child safety,” then turned us away late at night with two young children and our luggage. We had to walk to another hotel to find shelter on the streets of Bogotá. I consider Bogotá unsafe, especially at night with luggage and little kids, and the stress led our young son to have a panic attack. The front desk staff were rude, dismissive and careless, with no apparent concern for our safety or well-being. We only needed one night before our international flight home to Canada. Instead, the hotel's poor judgment and mismanagement made it a dangerous experience. The Sheraton a few blocs away welcomed us right away and treated us with dignity, professionalism and care. This hotel showed a serious lack of hospitality and duty of care. I'll never stay at a Holiday Inn again.