The Aubrey

Rooms

Once owned by a Chilean railway magnate, The Aubrey still feels like a patrician’s sprawling manor house, with hidden corners of exquisite Chinese ceramics or avant-garde sculptures, collected by Australian co-owner Mark Cigana. You might reach your room by a sunny patio or via a hemp-covered staircase. We had a private entrance: a stained-glass door with the initial ‘A’ - for namesake Aubrey Beardsley, the Victorian illustrator whose Art Nouveau style has influenced Mark and partner Will Martin’s vision.

The door opened to a lobby (our own!) with a white sofa, swivel purple leather chairs, copper globe lighting and an impressive distressed wood drinks cabinet. Tudor-style black beams on white walls continued into the bedroom (with a massively comfortable kingsize bed), where they were offset by a mauve mural of tree-blossoms and cream taffeta curtains. We were in the Art Decó Suite, one of two - the other, San Cristobal Studio, is equally striking, with pink-and-olive colouring, a square bathtub in the room and a terrace overlooking the pool.

There are three Terraza Rooms - the Venetian, Manarelli and Parque Metropolitano - that have long balconies and modern designer chairs to sit and admire the green vista. The three Loft Rooms are on the top floor, each one with distinctive décor; we especially liked the good use of space in the Japanese one with its tatami mat and bright cushions. The Mannarelli Room has an ebony four-poster kingsize bed. Pavillion Rooms are best for couples as the bedroom is separated from the bathroom by a glass wall; one of these rooms (#12) has a Jacuzzi on its patio. The remaining Constitución Rooms have queensize beds, pop-art pillows and small patios. All beds are dressed in 300-thread cotton linens.

Bathrooms are smart and clean with walk-in rainforest showers and night lighting.

All rooms are soundproofed, have free WiFi and LCD TV with cable, and come with central heating and air conditioning. Actually our Art Decó Suite is the one room without A/C but this corner room with its thick stone walls was very cool, in every sense of the word.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Minibar/fridge
• WiFi

Eating

Don’t make the mistake we did and sleep in till noon, only to find we had missed breakfast in The Dining Room (we were half an hour too late). Freshly squeezed orange juice and a bowl of fruit is brought to your table, followed by yoghurt and granola, then hot homemade buns and shortbread with jams and chunky marmalade. Ask if you'd like eggs too, cooked any way. Coffee is refilled frequently and for tea drinkers, a range of teas from Earl Grey to Lapsang Souchong, steeped in a teapot - certainly one way you can tell there is an Englishman behind the scenes.

In the Piano Lounge, a baby grand piano takes centre stage amongst chic wooden furniture and whimsical art and there are scrummy summer cocktails and tasty tapas to choose from. Sparking pear Mojito anyone?

For nights out, walk along the row of restaurants on Calle Constitucion. Ciudad Viejo has gourmet sandwiches and a pretty balcony, La Boheme is cheap and cheerful and La Barandiarán is a good Peruvian restaurant that backs onto the Patio Bellavista, a complex of even more restaurants, bars, and craft shops. Ask for suggestions from the helpful front desk - we were directed to a charming neighbourhood, Lastarria, and The Patagonia, where we had delicious spinach polenta and lamb magallanico. We walked back to the Aubrey for a late afternoon swim and a cooling drink by the pool, brought to our deckchair by the ever-smiling staff.

Features include:

• Minibar/fridge
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

Santiago is full of sights - staff will be happy to arrange tours of the city, but there are plenty within walking distance:

Take the funicular up to Cerro San Cristobal - the view is stunning and you can walk back down, practically right to your room (The Aubrey’s garden merges into the mountain)


• Saunter along the colourful street of Constitucion and take your pick of restaurants or check out the bars of Pio Nono, where lively drinking is a yes-yes
  
  
• Visit the eclectic collection of poet Pablo Neruda. His house La Chascona is round the corner and full of fascinating things (he called himself a ‘Thingist’), including his Nobel Prize medal - try for a guided tour from Salvador Dali lookalike, Gonzalo
  
  
• Stroll around Patio Bellavista - food stops range from sushi to falafel to ice-cream, bars play live rock or folk music and jewellery boutiques display alluring Lapis Lazuli necklaces
  
  
• Rummage amongst the trinkets at the weekend Lastarria flea market when the Belle Epoque barrio blooms with outdoor cafes and strolling street musicians
  
  
• Hire a bicycle from the hotel and pedal around next-door Parque Metropolitano, which has a zoo and pathways amongst a huge variety of eucalyptus trees
  
  
• Book a massage or manicure in one of the turreted towers by the heated pool or relax under the Jacuzzi jets

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Hiking
• Shopping / markets

Kids

The Aubrey is really a grown-up place although children are allowed. Older ones might appreciate the eclectic room decorations and playful furniture like the giant velvet pouffs and swing seat by the pool. There are no reductions for children. A cot can be provided in the Pavilion rooms or Terraza rooms free of charge. An extra bed can be put in the Art Deco Suite only.

Family friendly accommodation:

A cot can be provided in the Pavilion rooms or Terraza rooms free of charge. The Art Deco Suite is the only one that can fit an extra bed. The Pavilion Rooms can be set up as twins.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The Aubrey is beside Cerro San Cristobal on Calle Constitucion in the Bellavista neighbourhood of Santiago, Chile.

By Air:
Fly into Santiago's Arturo Merino Benitez International. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving this airport.

From the Airport
The hotel can provide transfers - see Rates - or you can get a taxi for about US$35.

By Bus:
Santiago has 5 bus terminals with good connections to other South American countries.

By Car:
There is valet parking at the Aubrey and cars are kept in the gated parking lot with 24-hour security. That said, car hire is not necessary as many sights are within walking distance and Santiago has an excellent subway system. If you do want to hire one, see our car rental recommendations.

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

More on getting to Chile and getting around