La Madriguera Hotel

We tried two other hotels in Guatapé before settling in at La Madriguera for four nights. If I come back, this is where I'll stay again. It's cozy, simple, colourful, friendly, and quiet, tucked away at the southeast end of town but still only a 7-minute walk from the centre. The room had a good-sized balcony with a jacuzzi, and the view is probably Guatapé's best: the lake, town, and Rock (El Peñol) are right in front of you. There's also a lounge by reception with great views, and you can hire a canoe to go out on the lake. Sandra, the manager, went out of her way to make me feel welcome and help with things. She even let me practice my broken Spanish. The staff were just as friendly. Daylin, who cleans and also hosts breakfast, was especially kind and uplifting. The hotel is a good starting point for walks to Monasterio Santa María de la Epifanía (Monks) and Monasterio Paráclito Divino (Nuns), my favourite. Both are under an hour away on foot. There's a mirador reached by an uphill path about 5 minutes from the hotel too. Ask Sandra for directions; the view over Guatapé, the lake, and the Rock is stunning. Breakfast was my one suggestion for improvement. It's a bit minimalistic, even by local standards, and some fresh fruit would be nice. I highly recommend the place. Thank you again, Sandra, for the warm welcome and a wonderfully relaxing stay.

The views were lovely, and breakfast came with a nice view too. But our room wasn't very clean, with ants everywhere. The suite's tub was dirty, and there were lots of bugs and bug remains in the shower. We accidentally left our suitcase open, and it got infested with ants even though there was no food in it. We wouldn't stay again because of the bugs and lack of cleanliness.

We paid 232.000 COP for one night, which felt highly overpriced for what we got. The owner was very nice and helped arrange an airport ride that we could pay for at the hotel. The view of the rock was pretty, but that didn't make up for the room and facilities. I gave one star because the current rating seemed far too high. Her kindness might otherwise have earned an extra star. I hope she takes the feedback seriously. I find it hard to believe she doesn't know about these problems, and suspect she and many others in Guatape don't care much about good service because guests don't stay long. We booked the "king room," but the bed was only 140cm wide and the room itself was tiny. There's no AC or fan, and opening the window brings in a million mosquitos. A small net at the shower window would help. There's also about a 2cm gap under the door, so noise and mosquitos get in, and the walls are super thin. The shower swung between ice cold and nearly boiling. After rain, the balcony stayed wet for a long time. The bath out there is just a regular bath, with no bubbles. Breakfast was mediocre and small: scrambled eggs or an omelet with your choice of additions, two tiny bread pieces or an arepa, butter, and coffee or OJ. The arepa was better as a frisbee or coaster. If breakfast isn't included, they charge 22.000 COP. I don't enjoy leaving bad reviews, but wanted other readers to know.

The view is absolutely beautiful, and the staff are fantastic. Book The presidential suite. You'll love the people who work here. Highly recommend a visit.