466SHH

I'm thinking about a trip here in February of 2014. And is there enough to do in the area (including Valparaiso) for a 5 night stay (I'm planning on using my points) or should I do the 5 night stay in Santiago instead and do the 3 night stay here?

My current plan is to split my time between Vina del Mar/Valparaiso and Santiago areas, but I'm flexible and can break it up any way that makes sense.

wpj

edited posted wrong comment

466SHH

Huh? Looks open to me. Hotel is quoting me rates on spg.com.

wpj

haha sorry got confused with Hyatt.. I will edit.

wpj

the hotel is right on the shore, and is one of the best hotels in town. valparaiso is nearby by taxi or drive. the beach in viña is not very nice (IMHO) and the water is very cold. you can walk on the coastline walkway.. go to the casino, dine out. there's no much to do in santiago either so I think a split between santiago/vina will be the best in february.. be prepared to pay high prices and stay with the crowds, february is the highest season and everyone goes to viña and soroundings. expect to pay 300-400$ a night for a std room in viña.

TimMeineke

I personally think there is a lot more to do in Santiago so would spend the 5 days there. Or maybe spend some time at one the wineries in between...

TravelinSperry

I booked a room on SPG and it shows a rate for "room only". Sometimes in Chile I find the T&C's show 19% tax is not included in the rate. However for this specific hotel none of the rates show T&C's like this... just show the room rate and don't discuss taxes at all. Does tax apply here? Or is the 19% solely a Santiago city tax... and there is none in Vina Del Mar?

Starwood Lurker III

Hi TravelinSperry,

The tax is mentioned on hotel's website.

Chilean Value Added Tax

Chilean residents are subject to a value added tax (VAT) of 19%. This tax does not apply to foreign travelers.

Best Regards,

Christina Zhou
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

TravelinSperry

Thanks Christina - good to see it doesn't apply. When booking it states an IVA of 19% applies and makes no mention of the foreign waiver. See here:
https://www.starwoodhotels.com/prefe...&ctx=ctxRooms&

Perhaps the website(s) should be updated to reflect what shows on the page you show.

Starwood Lurker III

Hi TravelinSperry,

I was not able to open the link provided below. Could you please provide a screenshot showing the IVA of 19%?

I will forward your feedback to the hotel.

Best Regards,

Christina Zhou
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

TravelinSperry

We are in the wrong thread but here is the screenshot of the terms & details of the Sheraton Santiago rate showing taxes are included with no mention of the fact that the 19% is for foreigners only. You can find these terms yourself by going to the website and creating a booking and then clicking "terms and details" of this rate (underneath the price). For the Sheraton Vina Del Mar they simply make no mention of taxes either way

TravelinSperry

Completed a nice stay here at the Sheraton Miramar. It's a really nice hotel. I stayed when it was fully booked so didn't get an upgrade. I did however receive a room with gorgeous ocean views and little balcony with 2 chairs (many of the rooms have them as the hotel sits right on it). The gym is spectacularly large and well equipped and they have a wonderful outdoor deck where you can enjoy lunch & wine overlooking the ocean (albeit with very slow service). The rooms were decently large and the service was good. Valet parking is available for 5,000 Pesos per night (about $8-$9). You can walk to Vina Del Mar from here - it's about 15 min to town (and food). You must drive or take a taxi to Valparaiso. It's about a 12-15 min drive (10,000 pesos in a taxi). Highly recommend Valparaiso (be sure to take the Ascensor Concepcion up to the top to walk around the pretty area of Valparaiso). Not much english spoken by the front desk personnel - but enough to get you by. If you speak some Spanish it'll be a help.

The only downside I found was they don't keep the printer stocked with paper and dole out about 3-4 pieces at a time. And only one of their 6 computers is attached to the one working printer. So if someone is using it - you're out of luck. Plus if someone isn't and you want to print you have to go stand in line a the front desk to get paper. It's quite annoying. But other than this - it's a nice hotel worth staying at IF you don't want to stay in one of the little B&B's at the top of Valparaiso. If I had to do it over again, I'd take a night in Valparaiso and the remainder here. Valparaiso is super cute.

And the hotel is pricey - but I was able to secure a BRG during my stay. Worth checking OTAs to see if you can as well to bring the cost in line to a more reasonable price.

466SHH

Actually, you can easily get from the hotel to Valparaiso on the metro system. very cheap and safe. from the front door of the hotel, turn right and walk to the flower clock. Turn left at the clock and walk up the street about 3 or 4 blocks. The entrance to the Miramar station is in the middle of the boulevard. Take the train to the last Valparaiso stop, Puerto, which is at the base of the tourist area. You can ride the ascensor up the hill or walk if you are feeling energetic. I did a little of both.

IIRC, the metro fare was a couple of dollars round trip. Very cheap. Best ride I had was the one with two opera students singing for tips. They had lovely voices and it was a pleasure to listen to them.

joeypore

Staying here very soon for 2 nights.

So, if we're staying here when the hotel is not full, and a suite is indeed available, should I expect an upgrade as a Plat? Or will I have to press for it?

We're looking forward to our stay here, especially on the BRG rate we received.


Also, can anyone recommend a good public transportation option from the Grand Hyatt Santiago? Thanks!

466SHH

It is a 90 minute bus ride from the Pajaritos metro stop. Very easy to do and the buses are clean and comfortable. IIRC, the round trip fare was under $20 per person. Both Turbus and Pullman bus go from there and are reliable. They leave every 20-30 minutes. It's a pleasant drive through the countryside. You will arrive at the main bus terminal in Vina. You can pick up a cab from there or walk a couple of blocks to the Metro stop and go one stop to the Miramar station, which is only a couple of blocks from the hotel.

There is not much room to store luggage onboard the buses, so pack light (a backpack will just fit overhead) or be prepared to put stuff in the hold. I ended up buying a backpack in Santiago and leaving my luggage with the concierge at my Santiago hotel since I was returning there after Vina. As usual, I took too much.

Do pack a sweater, I found Vina to be a little cooler at night than Santiago.

And I would definitely use the Pajaritos bus terminal rather than Alameda. Alameda is very busy and a bit of a zoo. Lots of different lines and destinations, not to mention too many people for my taste. Pajaritos has only about a dozen berths so you are much less likely to get confused. And the metro line has an exit that that takes you right to the bus terminal at Pajaritos. The Alameda station is not co-located, although it's not far, either.