Hotel Lleras 10

We arrived around 0900 and were lucky to get a room straight away, so there was no need to wait until the usual 1500 check-in. The shared areas are cozy and beautifully decorated, with a nice spot to work or read. Breakfast was a highlight for me, especially the potato soup. It runs from 0630-1030, though the hot dishes go quickly, so aim to get there by 0800 or 0830. There’s a gym and pool on the 7th floor. Our room with two double beds was a little small, but worked well for us, and the shower had great pressure and very hot water. Service was great too.

We were furious by the end of our stay. At checkout, two men at the front desk demanded fees that had never been mentioned when we booked. We had paid 50 percent in advance and the balance at check-in, and showed them our itinerary as proof. They agreed the charge was not on the original reservation, but said they needed to check with their bosses. Meanwhile they kept us in the hotel with our flight leaving in an hour. We paid 680,000 cop on top of what we had already paid in full because missing the flight would have cost even more. The security and rules were beyond comprehension, and the whole place felt like a massive cash grab. I’d never encourage anyone to stay here. There are plenty of other places around. Management should be ashamed of the terrible customer service. Without tourists, they wouldn’t have jobs. Avoid this trash hotel.

The neighborhood is lively at night, and that’s the reason for the noise, not the police. But with no sound insulation in the windows, it was impossible to sleep. I asked for an interior room and was told none were available. I’d highly recommend replacing the street-facing windows with soundproof glass, as you’d expect at a 4-star hotel in a noisy area. That would solve it.

Being right in the heart of Poblado means it’s walkable to everything, and the location is great. Prices are a bit above what I expected for Colombia, but otherwise the property seemed good. The check-in experience was bad, though, and the staff were rude, unfriendly, and unhelpful. We asked Luisa, who seemed to know very little about the place, where we could find a barber shop and a convenience store. She couldn’t help with either. I got the impression she was more interested in talking with the man waiting for her to finish her shift at 3pm, who seemed to be her boyfriend. As an Asian tourist, I felt we weren’t welcome and were treated like second-class guests. I told Manuela that hotel staff should know basic information about the area and be willing to help, but she just gave me a plastic smile. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel to Asian visitors or tourists who don’t speak Spanish.