THE AUBREY: BOUTIQUE HOTEL IN SANTIAGO, CHILE

THE HISTORY OF THE AUBREY

I came across the Aubrey while perusing on Facebook, and it immediately caught my eye. You’ll notice that in Santiago, Chile, boutique hotels aren’t exactly “a thing” yet, and the Aubrey is certainly the first of its kind to fill this gap. The hotel itself is made up of two antique houses; the main part of the hotel was built in 1927 for the Domingo Durán Morales family. As you can probably tell by the size of the house, this family was very well-to-do. Domingo Durán was a politician as well as a railroad tycoon. So, the current dining room in the Aubrey is where many critical political conversations took place in the past! Interestingly enough, the same family occupied the house until the 2000s, when the current owners of the property bought it and began the renovation process. The Aubrey was then opened to the public as Santiago’s first boutique hotel in 2010.

THE LOCATION

The Aubrey Hotel is located in one of the best neighborhoods to explore as a tourist: Bellavista. You can even see one of the city’s main attractions, Cerro San Cristóbal, from your hotel window! Not only is Bellavista great for tourism, but it’s also an excellent place for foodies. Some of my favorite restaurants (Azotea Matilde, for example) in Santiago can be found just a short walk away from the Aubrey. Other close by and popular attractions include:

ROOMS & AMENITIES

This trendy boutique hotel only offers 15 rooms, making the experience genuinely exclusive. I was impressed with how peaceful and quiet the Aubrey was at all times. Even during the weekend, when Bellavista can be quite noisy, walking into the Aubrey was like jumping into another area.

My favorite part of this hotel was easily the heated swimming pool. Perched onto the side of Cerro San Cristóbal, this pool offers guests a breathtaking view of Santiago. The terrace was gorgeous in itself, and the perfect place to drink a cocktail in the evening. If you happen to be a music lover like myself, you can even drop by the hotel lounge and enjoy the company of a live pianist on Fridays. Guests also receive complimentary pisco sours as a welcome to the hotel!

Dress: Yannika, Swimsuit: Maylana by the Orchid Boutique

Breakfast is served to hotel guests each morning, and we had an enjoyable experience with Rachel, one of the Aubrey‘s servers. She greeted us with a bright smile and was always happy to go out of her way to give us recommendations. You truly know you are staying in a fantastic establishment when the staff radiate joy. At breakfast, your options are limitless: eggs are cooked to order, coffee is freshly ground, and the pastries and bread are all delicious. In the afternoon, the Aubrey also serves a complimentary “tea time” in the dining room. This includes a hot tea of your choice as well as fresh pastries (often kuchen). Furthermore, the staff brings a new piece of chocolate to each guest in the late afternoon (the highlight of my day!).

I highly recommend staying at the Aubrey in Santiago. Although Chile’s capital offers many chain hotels, staying in this delightful boutique hotel is a genuinely preferable experience. The rooms are comfy and quiet, the location is ideal to begin exploring Santiago, and the patio and pool areas were the perfect way to relax after coming in from a long day out on the town. If you’re looking for other options for accommodations, you can also consider booking an Airbnb in Santiago. No matter where you stay, I hope you have a great trip!