If you’re searching for a hotel in Medellín, the LaMartina Boutique Hotel might not be the most obvious choice. But is this tiny property worthy of hidden gem status? Let’s take a closer look.
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I stayed in this hotel August 3-6, Sun-Wed as part of a longer stay in the city.
Those nights came to an average of $75.54 after taxes. The LaMartina Boutique Hotel has an Expedia rating of 8.2 from 274 reviews. Check the Expedia rates for your dates.
I chose this hotel because I was looking for something budget friendly and specifically wanted to be in the Manila neighborhood.
LaMartina Boutique Hotel Location
Overall this is probably the best location in all of Medellín. My personal favorite location is the Ibis Medellín, which is walkable from the La Martina. But for most visitors Manila will be the Goldilocks sweet spot near El Poblado.
The neighborhood is self-contained and has all the amenities a traveler needs or wants. It’s outside the Provenza nightlife district but a very close and easy walk to it.
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Manila is situated on the valley floor and the streets are relatively flat and easy to navigate. The Metro is not far away.
LaMartina Boutique Hotel Property
Boutique often means small and the LaMartina is no exception. But they do quite a bit with the space they’ve got featuring a small but true lobby, a breakfast area (breakfast included) and restaurant, an all-day coffee stand, and a rooftop bar.
There’s also a spa, which I believe is just a guest room with a massage table in it. As I recall they said the massages are free so I assume they’re working for tips. There’s also a hot tub on the roof which is nice but feels a little shoehorned into the space, which is all bar and tables, not a sun lounge.
There was construction happening onsite during my stay. That fact wasn’t advertised in advance. The building is showing quite a bit of age but is in overall good condition.
LaMartina Boutique Hotel Guest Rooms
These rooms… they kinda stink. I wouldn’t stay here again even at the low rates they’re asking. The main issue is that there’s no storage at all. I had to keep my folded clothes on a shelf as it was literally the only surface that wasn’t the floor. The bathroom is kinda tight and pretty basic and the shower spills water everywhere.
The rooms here feature a balcony which was a fantastic amenity. I really enjoyed sitting out there at night and it’s very private as well. However: not all the balconies are as nice as the one in my room, which was at the rear of the building. Other rooms have them built in little courtyards and they just face walls.
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The room was fine overall. If you’re a solo traveler on a tight budget this could be an option. But the room was also very very noisy all day long. It was only quiet at night.
About Manila
Manila has all the charm and amenities of the Provenza but in a much quieter setting. It’s not entirely quiet here. For instance, while you’re eating in restaurants you’re very likely to encounter roving musicians or dance troupes keen on interrupting your dinner. But overall there’s much less street life and the annoyances that come with it.
Manila is extremely popular with backpackers and digital nomads and it’s not difficult to see why. There’s lots of cheap accomodations and everything that you need as a long-term traveler: laundry, co-working, groceries, coffee and brunch, etc.
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The only drawback to the neighborhood is that that popularity has spurred a lot of investment, which means a lot of construction noise. It was loud in my room from the large job site right next door, but it isn’t just bad luck or bad timing or the LaMartina: you’re going to hear construction noise all day wherever you stay in this neighborhood.
Bottom Line
It’s a quaint hotel in a very good, albeit loud location. As already mentioned, if your budget is tight this is an option but there are so many hotels in Medellín and so many of them are affordable that almost all of them are going to be a bit better than the LaMartina Boutique Hotel.
Take a look at the options on Expedia and see if you agree.
