Meridiano Sur Petit Hotel

Rooms

On the house's 2 middle floors, a mix of small standard rooms and slightly larger Meridianos await (although none are particularly big). There are also 2 top-floor rooms, Double Classic and Double Premium Rooms, which are more spacious and light. The Double Classic has balcony whilst the Double Premium has a kingsize bed and 2 singles (or 4 singles) so is a better option for families. Views are over the neighbourhood.

Most rooms are named after regions in Chile - we stayed in Cerros de Valparaíso, a white and airy room with windows opening to a partial view of Cerro San Cristóbal. Bright red alpaca rugs were draped over the foot of a kingsize bed decked out in crisp white cotton with a thick duvet. We liked the economical use of space, with bedside cabinets to stash our stuff, individual reading lights, little mirrors and a luggage rack.

The bathroom was squeaky clean, with all-white décor, a shower (no bath, though some rooms do have a tub), basic hotel-brand toiletries and thick white towels. All the rooms have satellite TV, ecological air conditioning, heating, and safety deposit boxes big enough to store a laptop in.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• WiFi

Eating

Meridiano speaks proudly of its breakfast - describing it as ‘tasty, abundant and healthy’. The food on offer is vegetarian (owner Carolina is vegan) so don’t expect fried eggs or sausages, but you will find some tasty and unnusual daily choices. We tucked into pancakes, honey and carrot cake, homemade bread, cheese and loads of fresh fruit. Energising ginger and green tea juice added a definite healthy feel - but don’t worry, there are chocolate and candy-flavoured cereals with strawberry milk if you have kids (or a fussy adult) in tow.

Tea, coffee and juice are free throughout the day. but for lunch and dinner you’ll need to eat out. We walked to Liguria, a well-known bohemian hangout where waiters drag checkered tableclothed tables onto the pavement as diners arrive. We tried 2 Chilean specialties: machas con parmesan (baked pink clams with cheese) and pastel de jaiba (crab pie with creamed spinach) and waddled back to the hotel full and content. For lunch, we enjoyed more seafood at the Mercardo Central (central market), avoiding the touristy restaurants in the middle and slipping into the little eateries off to the side, which are filled with locals. We feasted on ceviche (raw seafood salad in a lime and chili dressing) - it’s the Latin American equivalent of sushi and is rather addictive.

Features include:

• Children's meals
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Set halfway between the historic district and the residential areas, Meridiano Sur is well placed for exploring. Grab a map from reception or just follow the river through the park and you’ll reach most attractions within an hour. If you’d prefer to cycle around, hire a bicycle - enquire when booking
  
  
• Plaza de Armas is the historical heart of Santiago. Admire its magnificent 18th-century Catedral Metropolitana then relax under a shady tree and watch portrait painters, street musicians, artists and old men playing chess. Keep your eyes peeled for the city map of Santiago, made of bronze in 1712, which is embedded in a pavement
  
  
• The Palacio de la Real Audiencia on the north side of the Plaza de Armas is a beautifully preserved colonial building that houses the Museo Histórico Nacional. As you’d expect, this charts Chile’s history through the colonial era, independence and into the modern age, and has an excellent collection of portraits - including explorer Ferdinand Magellan and independence leaders Bernardo O'Higgins and José de San Martín
  
  
• If you’re recovering from jetlag, spend a few hours on the peaceful Cerro Santa Lucía, with its beautiful landscaped gardens, fountains and city views (best avoided after dark)
  
  
• Cerro San Cristóbal, an 860m hill in the centre of the city, also has fantastic views over Santiago, and on a clear day you can see the Andes in the distance. Walk up to the top or take the funicular railway
  
  
• Palacio de la Moneda, the presidential palace, sits to the southwest of the Plaza de Armas, and is where President Allende was killed during the 1973 coup led by General Pinochet. There’s an impressive change of guard ceremony there every morning at 10am
  
  
• The Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino houses a collection of art spanning 5,000 years from the pre-Columbian cultures of Latin America. Also worth visiting is the Museo Arqueológico de Santiago, featuring exhibits on Chile's indigenous people
  
  
• La Chascona, the eclectic house of Chile's late poet and folk hero Pablo Neruda, is also very good (closed Mondays)
  
  
• Back at the hotel, sit out on the tranquil terrace and flick through a Chilean photography book from the library

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Nightlife
• Shopping / markets

Kids

Children are welcome, and accommodation for those under 8 years of age is free provided they stay in the room occupied by their parents and use existing beds.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

Extra beds are available, but families tend to hire the Double Classic or Premium Rooms, which have a kingsize bed plus one or 2 single beds. As they're on the top floor, however, they're more suited to older children and teenagers than toddlers.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available, Family Rooms

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Meridiano Sur Petit Hotel is set in the trendy Providencia neighbourhood of Santiago, in central Chile.

By Air:
Santiago Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International (also known as Pudahuel Airport) is 20km away. For a list of airlines that serve this airport, click on the links below.

From the Airport:
The hotel offers a transfer service - see Rates - or you can jump in a cab

By Car:
As downtown Santiago is relatively small and easy to explore on foot, you won't need a car while you're here. However if you do want to hire one, see our car rental recommendations. The hotel has 1 parking space (available for an extra cost).

By Public Transport:
The hotel is 6 minutes' walk from the Manuel Montt metro station, on the red line (number 1). From the airport you'd need to get a bus into town then switch to the metro.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Chile and getting around