1616 Hotel

The room itself was nice, and the location was good, but this should be called the 8 / 8 hotel. We stayed four nights, and breakfast was advertised as included on the website. On two of those days, staff said the menu had nothing available except eggs and fruit. The selection was already small, and having only eggs those two mornings was really disappointing and unacceptable. We left and had to pay for breakfast elsewhere.

Our first stay at 1616 Hotel, in March 2023, was positive. The return visit in June was the complete opposite, and definitely our last time at 1616 Hotel Medellín. My card was charged twice, and I spent weeks chasing the refund. Communication was poor, with delayed replies, empty excuses, or no answer. When they finally sent money back, they still kept part of it, and more than a month later I'm waiting for the remaining balance. For any hotel, that's unprofessional and unacceptable. Service at the rooftop bar was no better. The waitress was arrogant and inattentive, didn't speak any English, and we got no coffee or hospitality. Given the high prices, there are plenty of better options in the city. I can't recommend this hotel under any circumstances.

Our airport pickup, booked through the hotel in advance for $80 US, started the trip badly. They went to the international airport instead of the domestic one we'd arranged. At the hotel, staff denied responsibility, even when we showed them the WhatsApp messages arranging it. Hmmn. The room on the second floor was spacious and well appointed, but the long windows faced intersecting motorways and the traffic noise was like a tsunami. After ten minutes of it, we asked reception for a room on the other side. Nothing was available, and they seemed not at all concerned. This is billed as a four star hotel. We then read the reviews and saw the same complaints about traffic and staff attitude coming up consistently. Booking.com said they couldn't help until morning. At four am we told reception we were cancelling the next two nights. They grudgingly agreed, but still charged us for that sleepless night. We stayed for the prepaid breakfast, another dismal mistake. At checkout, they said we had to pay for mini bar items we hadn't touched. After a heated argument, they admitted it was the usually complimentary little packet with one plastic tooth brush that cost extra. It was a glorious Fawlty Towers ending to an otherwise inglorious stay. Faced with our fury, they let us off the toothbrush charge. The next two nights were a very happy ending, though. We found a room not far away at one year old Blues Suites Medellin. The staff were warmly welcoming, the room was well laid out with a great view across Medellin, and it was quiet and absolutely wonderful. If you like sleeping beside a busy motorway and being berated by unresponsive staff, maybe 1616 is for you. Otherwise, give it a very wide berth.

The rooftop restaurant is a perfect place to work or relax, and I thought the hotel's look was beautiful. For about $110-$160 a night, the included breakfast is pretty basic, eggs, fruit, bread, and coffee or juice, but I can't really complain at that price. There doesn't seem to be room service either. They told me over WhatsApp I could order through a third-party delivery app and they'd bring it up, which they did, so that's about the same to me. The main issue was the TV. We stayed in two different rooms, and neither TV would connect to streaming services, even after a software update. Unless you're happy with basic Colombian cable, expect to watch on your phone. The location worked well for us, about a 10-minute walk downhill from provensia, so the action stays at the bottom of the hill.