Originally posted in 2003/07 La Muerte in Bogotá, Colombia

Based on the advice of another, I made a reservation at Suites Real 85 (011-571-218-0100 from the US or http://www.suitesreal.com/index-e.html). For $29 per night you can get a one bedroom apartment with a small kitchen, 24/7 security, a full-sized bed, room service, hot water, etc. I spent a few minutes exchanging pleasantries with Javier, one of the security guys, and gave him the equivalent of a $10 tip for helping me to my room with my bags upon my arrival. This proved to be a great investment as Javier was able to help me out many times with directions and sound advice on which directions to walk and which to avoid. He also was very laid-back, as on one particular night when I bought three different chicas back with me at different times throughout the night without incident. Suites Real was great, perfectly located and I recommend them to anybody thinking about hanging out in Bogotá for some fun.

I've used this placed several times in the past few months. It's a good place to stay. But the prices have gone up since 2003. I think it's 99,000 a night ($44). Also, items from the minibar are very, very reasonable.

this is a chica friendly place, right? are there any nice clubs/bars within walking distance? it'll be my first time visiting bogota. does anyone have a "must hit list" for 3 nights stay in bogata?

Suites Real 85 is chica friendly. I've brought two girls to my room before with no problem. There are families that stay there though so be discrete and you should have no trouble. The hotel is in the zona rosa district so there are several clubs and restaurants within walking distance and several adult clubs(Casanovas and Extasis) in walking distance. Those two clubs are a bit high but they are close.

Yeah, Wallstreet is right on the price increase. It's actually gone up from 85K to 95K in pesos, but with weakening of the dollar that has changed the price from about $29 to $45 USD. Still a good place though. Tim is also right on w/ his observations on chica friendliness and proximity to the scene.

LM

i've tried twice contacting real 85 via email but didn't hear anything back. wonder why...

It's best if you call them. I couldn't contact them by email either. Here is their number: 011-571-218-0100

I had the same problem a couple of years ago. I emailed Real 97 and they relayed to the Real 85 that I was trying to contact them. Real 85 then contacted me via email.

I just called & made reservations for Feb 12-16.
First they said $100/night. When I said WOW your rates have really gone up, they reduced it to $85/night. Any of you going to be in Bogata those dates?

Wow. I paid $45 a year or so ago. The dollar has devalued.

I was thinking about staying at this place in march. I've heard its only 40-50 per night. Has anyone stayed at hotel charlies??

http://www.hotelcharlies.com/

TTboy, I've never stayed nor heard of that hotel, but I can comment that it is not in a terrible location. It's certainly not as good as Suites Real 85, but it's ok. You'll need to take a taxi or enjoy a good long walk to get to the Zona Rosa.

That is horrible news on the price creep at Suites Real 85. It's a nice hotel, but absolutely not worth $85 - $100 USD. A hotel of similar quality wouldn't cost that much in many parts of the USA, never mind Colombia. Apache, may I ask, did you speak in Spanish when calling for pricing information?

LM

That is horrible news on the price creep at Suites Real 85.

I do not think it is that hotel, but rather the dollar. EVERYTHING is way up!

Prices here are now $190,000 pesos for a double occupancy room. Bringing extra occupants to the room apparently costs an additional $50,000 pesos. Does anyone know of a cheaper place in the same neighborhood?

I stayed at Suites Real 97 on Thursday night and hated it. It was about $175,000 pesos for a crappy room. TV did not work. All power is shut off in the rooms at about 3:30 am every night (exactly the same time as I was exploring the new body that I had brought home). I have no idea why they have alarm clocks in the rooms due to the power issue. I was woken up bright and early by the construction in the room next door. It sounded like they were working IN my room. Decent neighborhood but not much located close by. Cabs are not as easy to get as other hotels.

I switched to the Suites Real 85 for nights 2 and 3 of my trip. This place was nice. I had a full suite with great wifi, good TV and full kitchen. It cost about $190,000 pesos for double occupancy room. Location is great. You can easily walk to Zona Rosa clubs and also the restaurant shopping district. It is easy to get a cab from here and the staff was really nice. Walls are extremely thin between units and I received a call from the lady next door at like 5 am because my session was bothering her. She was probably right because we could hear her TV as clear as a bell the following morning.