Exceptional apartment, exceptional host
I recently completed a month-long stay at Anabella’s apartment. I was in Santiago for work and spent a long time perusing Airbnb listings to find the right place and was extremely happy with my choice. Anabella is an exceptional host: very hospitable, not at all intrusive, immediately answered any queries, and she quickly provided the few extra things I asked about to make my stay more comfortable and productive. When I arrived, I inquired about the possibility of a small table to work at and the next day, she had set up a new, beautiful glass-topped desk and comfortable chair. The apartment itself is a cut above most of the Santiago apartments available on Airbnb, which are in giant high rises and all look and feel alike (I have stayed in several of these places on previous trips). Anabella’s apartment is in a smaller, very safe building with nice neighbors and helpful and friendly concierges. It is immaculate and beautifully furnished with a very comfortable bed and new appliances. As you can see in the pictures, the living room has glass sliding doors that open up onto a wide balcony that looks out onto the tree-lined street. This gives the apartment a feeling of spaciousness that most one-bedroom apartments don’t have. The balcony was especially pleasant on a sunny afternoon. The WiFi was fast and reliable, and the apartment was cleaned and restocked weekly. For a month-long stay, the discount was higher than other places (if you are considering a longer stay (week or more), it is very helpful to calculate the total cost for comparison, rather than just look at the nightly rates since discounts and cleaning fees really vary). The only downside for a long-term stay is that there are no laundry facilities in the building, but there are a couple lavanderias very nearby (but note that a load (wash and dry) is pricey—about 7000 CLP).
Finally, some comments about the neighborhood: On my many trips to Chile, I have stayed in several neighborhoods—close to the center, Lastarria (nice but can be noisy at night), and further west in Providencia. This neighborhood is by far my favorite. It includes a mix of apartment buildings and beautiful old houses, with several streets shut down on Sundays to auto traffic. While the apartment is in a residential area, it is very close to shops (including the mega Costanera Center; try the Drugstore mall on Providencia if you want to buy high-quality “Made in Chile” handicrafts, jewelry, books, yarn, clothing, and housewares), fantastic restaurants (my favorite, Ambrosia Bistro—exquisite cuisine in a relaxed and intimate setting), supermarkets, a small but very complete Saturday growers market (behind the Drugstore mall), and the Metro and bus lines. The Metro is super efficient and very easy to use—it’s only a few extra stops to see the sights in and near the center.
In short, I highly recommend reserving Annabella’s apartment for a short or long-term stay.