Hotel Poblado Boutique Medellin

There isn't much here to justify the boutique title in the hotel's name, but the Hotel Poblado Boutique Express is still a solid option for budget-minded travelers. Set in one of the large, three-story ‘50s-style houses that are typical to the area, the hotel sports a simple shop-like glass frontage, while the lobby is decent but cramped and somewhat dated. Simple brown faux-leather stools, and a similar but less attractive black sofa, sit alongside white walls, and a green accent wall behind the fairly modern dark-wood, glass-topped front desk. There are screened floor-to-ceiling windows, brown-and-off-white floor tiling, and tourist literature displays. The rather bizarre indoor courtyard has pebbled flooring, artificial tropical plants, and suspended parrot figures. And although hallways and stairwells are decent enough, with white walls, attractive dark-and-tan-wood-paneled doors and steps, and gray-striped hospitality-style carpets, the property lacks little else by way of public spaces. Note that there’s no elevator, and the stairs are on the narrow side. 

The hotel is set on a block on a quiet and fairly attractive, wide, tree-lined street, in the Provensa area of El Poblado, close to shops and restaurants. The subway is just beyond comfortable walking distance.

• Seven-minute walk to Lleras Park
• 15-minute walk to El Poblado
• Five minutes to Museum of Pablo Escobar by car (28-minute walk)
• Six minutes to Telemedellin Canal Park by car (24-minute walk)
• Six minutes to El Tesoro Shopping Park by car
• Seven minutes to Olaya Herrera Airport by car
• Eight minutes to Poblado subway station by car (21-minute walk)
• Eight minutes to Medellin Modern Art Museum by car
• Nine minutes to Santa Fe Zoo by car
• 10 minutes to Plaza Mayor convention center by car (34 minutes by public transportation)
• 10 minutes to southern bus terminal by car
• 44 minutes to Jose Maria Cordova International Airport by car

The 36 rooms here are on the functional side, but they’re a good value. There are plain white walls sporting generic art canvases, off-white floor tiling, and beds with attractive dark-wood bases, wall-width mounted headboards and built-in bedside tables, and large overhead mirrors. Cabinets and doors are done out in attractive dark- and tan-wood paneling, while pricier rooms add desks. The cheapest Cabin Rooms lack windows; others have small-ish, old-fashioned window frames framed by chic cream curtains, though views from many rooms are practically non-existent. 

Standard amenities include individually controlled air-conditioning and floor and wall fans, plus flat-screen cable TVs, phones, free Wi-Fi, safes, and mini-fridges.  Pricier rooms also have iPod docks, which are an unexpected perk in this price range, and Junior Suites add large hot tubs. Rooms with up to four single beds are available, as are specially adapted accessible rooms. Note that some rooms pick up noise from nearby bars and nightclubs.

Bathrooms are small, simple, and slightly frumpy-looking, but they are decent enough on the whole. There are simple built-in vanities with submerged sinks (outside the bathrooms in some rooms), and white walls, beige-brown floor and wall tiling with generic earth-toned mosaic detailing, and basic shower stalls with small rainfall showerheads. Hairdryers and pump toiletries are provided.

A few rooms have sliding doors leading to large, covered balconies with simple metal outdoor furniture, attractive ferns, and decent street views.

The Hotel Poblado Boutique Express has few amenities to speak of, but there's a good free continental buffet breakfast, with fruit and hot dishes, served in the small restaurant that comprises a few tables just off the lobby. There’s 24/7 front desk service, and the free Wi-Fi is generally reliable, though guests report it can cut out occasionally. There are computers for guests to use in the lobby, and staff can print and scan documents. A meeting room accommodates up to 60 guests.