Salento is the most touristic area in the popular “Coffee Triangle” of Colombia. No wonder there are so many hostels and guesthouses in town. But if you’d like to stay in a place that offers something extra than the standard hostal, Hotel Salento Real is the place to head to!
Hotel Salento Real
In the very center of Salento, the hotel manages to blend in well with its surroundings. The whole place is welcoming and nature inspired. The rooms are comfortable and I loved the fact that this is an environmental conscious establishment. For instance, the water is heated using solar power, and there are recycling bins for different materials by the lobby.
Double room at Hotel Salento Real
Hotel Salento Real bathroom
In-room goodies
Entrance to rooms
Any tour you need to arrange can be booked with the in-house tour desk, Fog Walkers. There are plenty of activities all around Salento, being some of the most popular visits to coffee plantations (after all, this is what the area is famous for), trekking and horse ridding. For adrenaline junkies, rafting, kayaking and paragliding are good options too!
Fog Walkers at
Even if you don’t want to book a guided activity as such, the staff at Hotel Salento Real would be happy to recommend places you can check out on your own in and around town. Sunrise or sunset from Salento’s viewpoint atop of the stairs that dominate the view in the main street in town shouldn’t be missed!
Reception of Hotel Salento Real
View from the balcony at Hotel Salento Real
Local artwork by the lobby
Hotel Salento Real has some of the best breakfast we enjoyed during our stay in Colombia. Everything is prepared fresh when you order it and, apart from delicious coffee, fresh fruits and juices, you may choose a combination of hot dishes. The breakfast menu includes local specialties, such as stuffed arepas, and other international goods (pancakes, cereal, eggs cooked your way, etc). My favorite were the quesadillas and, of course, the famous local coffee!
Breakfast at Hotel Salento Real
For lunch and dinner, the in-house restaurant serves a variety of dishes that include popular local ingredients (such as trout) but do offer more varied and inspired preparations than the standard restaurants in town.
You may purchase some of that Colombian coffee by reception as well, along with some other local treats and souvenirs. Furthermore, you are free to enjoy 24hrs complimentary coffee and tea by the lobby as well.
24hrs complimentary coffee and tea
Hotel Salento Real is a very complete establishment. Their aim is not only to provide accommodation during your stay in Salento. It’s all about making you feel at home, yet doing it in a way that takes the town and the environment into consideration too.
Definitely a great place to stay at!
More info:
Hotel Salento Real
info@hotelsalentoreal.com
Calle 3 Nº 4 – 31
Salento – Quindio – Colombia
Reservations: +57 – 6 – 7593658
I was in Salento in February. I stayed in Las Palmas, a family run hostel. I liked it there, but the accommodation was definitely more rustic than the one you describe (that’s what my budget allowed!). I wonder if solar panels to heat water would have worked back then, as it rained most of the time. The best part though it that in Colombia (and even in Salento) I hardly had any decent coffee. Another hostel I stayed in (Los Colibries) prepared poor quality regular supermarket coffee using agua de panela, turning the coffee into a nauseating sweet drink (I like my coffee with no sugar!), and most places in town served poor coffee as well. Brunch de Salento, despite serving delicious American food, went too far in being American and served nescafè! LOL!
You didn’t have good coffee in Salento, really? :( We had tons of good coffee in town. I remember Bernabe Cafe, for example, which is a place where the barista makes you smell the coffee beans before brewing and explains you the coffee history of the region, etc.. And we did have good coffee in other places, including Brunch de Salento (it was definitely not instant coffee when we had it and there offered free refills – you can tell it’s run by Americans!). I wouldn’t be happy with agua de panela either.. I also don’t take sugar in my coffee, so I understand your point. I guess you just had bad luck! Gotta give Salento and its coffee a second chance sometime! ;)
This looks somewhat similar to the “Ministry of Coffee” hotel in Yogyakarta Indonesia that I stayed in and LOVED! Thanks for sharing :)
You’re welcome Tim!
Thank you for reading! :)
What a beautiful hotel. I’d love to one day visit the coffee plantations of Colombia, I’m a coffee addict so I may never want to leave haha!
The coffee plantations are quite fascinating, Craig. Personally, I never knew how much work is involved from plantation to harvest… until we have a cup of coffee in front of us. A visit to a plantation, specially meeting the people who work in coffee farming, really makes you appreciate your daily cuppa much more!