Originally Posted by
cheaptom
UPDATE:
Thanks everyone. I have taken your advice, and what we're looking at now is a flight that arrives at 9 am into SCL. The next flight will be at 8 am the following day.
So we have 23 hours to explore Santiago. Suggestions for a nearby day tour or a decent hotel close to the airport?
The airport is close enough to the city that you can stay in Santiago if you like rather than at the airport Holiday Inn, although the Holiday Inn at SCL is nice enough to compete with some of the hotels in the city. It normally runs USD 180 a night, and they probably charge for early check-in if you want your room available upon arrival. Since your flight is at 8am, you may prefer the airport location so that you don't have to get up so early to be at the airport at 6am. Either way, there's transportation to/from the city if you want to go exploring.
There's also a Hilton Garden Inn very close to the airport, but off the grounds. About a 5-minute drive to/from the terminal. Also close to the airport is a local chain (Diego de Almagro) that I know nothing about.