Hotel Camino del Alto

On my "umteenth" trip to Chile, this one was to visit relatives in law in Renaca. As always, I stayed at the Camino Del Alto in what they call a suite. Let me try to define that: It's one of 2 (I think) much larger hotel rooms which overlooks the coast. The room is always clean, breakfast is included (at least when I go there), and the view will take your breath away. . . especially at night when you look to the south/southwest and are able to see Valparaiso. Views aren't bad in the day either, but that night view . . .! It's a great place to relax and is pretty centrally located for my purposes. Despite the language barrier (my Spanish isn't much better than their English), we manage to work everything out. I've always thought the price is very reasonable and they have something in the room that, in my experience, is a rarity in Chile; comfortable chairs. The breakfast I'm served is usually a ham and cheese sandwich, fresh fruit, something sweet, and hot tea. There is a fridge in the room (they charge if you use the contents - nothing new). The bathroom is a little larger than most I've been in in similar hotels in South America, and always spotless. Shopping is a bit south in a (sort of) mall that has a pedestrian bridge over their coastal highway (think "pch" in California but actually ON the coast). This mall is an interesting place that's clean and safe while being ecclectic. They have a version of Home depot (or Lowes) that's a very interesting place to see. Once you convert peso to dollar, the prices are pretty good as well. A bit further south is Vina del Mar casino, which is right on the water. Unlike casinos here, there are windows and clocks (if you've been to most casinos in the United States, you understand). Unlike casinos here, they charge admission and you must be decently attired (no spandex, shorts, t shirts, etc). Just a couple of things that popped into my mind for those who haven't travelled to Chile before: The trip in and out of the airport northwest of Santiago used to be a bit harrowing years ago because it's surrounded by mountains, but they have managed to expand things in such a way that it's much less "dramatic." The airport is modern, customs officers are always pleasant to me, and transportation is never an issue. The visa you buy (must be in American dollars) is stapled into the back of your passport and is good for as long as your passport is valid. Nearly everywhere you go, SOMEONE will speak English - you need only ask. The other thing you must remember whenever you travel to another country is that you leave your American rights here and you're a guest in their country. Overall, a wonderful place to visit and "get your feet wet" if you've never traveled abroad.