Advertiser disclosure
Advertisers are not responsible for the content of this site, including any editorial or review that may be published on it. For complete and up-to-date information about any product featured, please visit their website. We maintain business relationships with certain partners mentioned in our communication tools. While we may receive compensation if you sign up for a product or service through our affiliate links, our reviews and content are based on an objective assessment. Value estimates are established by Milesopedia and are not provided, endorsed, or verified by the issuing financial institutions. †*Terms and conditions apply.
For the holiday season, we decided to return to Curaçao. A 16-hour layover in Bogotá on the way back turned into an opportunity to discover the Colombian capital for two days. Taking advantage of this option at a low cost is a great way to discover a place you might not necessarily have considered at first.
We used 31,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night to book the W Bogotá, located in the trendy and safe neighborhood of Usaquén. The cash rate was $342 USD per night, which represents excellent point value.
The hotel is about 30 minutes from the airport, and the staff can arrange transportation for approximately $30 USD (cash only). Fun fact: the hotel is located right across from the Canadian Embassy.
The hotel has two entrances: one on the ground floor for car arrivals, and another on the 3rd floor overlooking a large plaza. Upon our arrival, the hotel was under renovation and the reception had been moved. We were warmly welcomed with a glass of agua de panela.
As a Platinum member, we were upgraded to a suite and received free breakfast for four people at the Jairo restaurant. Communication with the staff was easy via WhatsApp.
The suite was spacious and well-equipped: large shower, bathtub, separate toilet, kitchenette area with refrigerator, hot drinks, and snacks (for a fee). We requested an extra bed and additional blankets for the children, which were provided promptly.
The W Bogotá has a large gym and a heated spa-style pool, ideal for relaxing. The W Lounge offers refined cocktails, while the Jairo restaurant is open for all meals. The BBC Brewery and the café were not open during our stay.
The breakfast buffet at Jairo is exceptional: fresh fruit, juices, cheeses, cold cuts, pastries, cereals… a true feast to start the day right.
The Usaquén district is full of great restaurants. Here are the ones we particularly enjoyed.
Canasto is a very pleasant restaurant in the Usaquén neighborhood (near the hotel). Ideal for a coffee, a snack, or lunch, the interior is well-decorated, the staff is very pleasant, and the food is of high quality.
Since Colombia is a major cocoa-producing country, you must try the local chocolate. Legado, in the Usaquén district, is a small place offering a variety of cocoa-based drinks and desserts. They also explain the transformation from cocoa bean to the chocolate you taste.
Try the traditional hot chocolate; you won’t regret it. And if you have a sweet tooth, try the churros.
80 Sillas, in the Usaquén neighborhood, is a restaurant that seeks to rediscover traditional Colombian cuisine, focusing on the pairing of sea and mountain. A very good, high-quality table.
Located just steps from the Gold Museum, San Alberto Coffee is renowned for serving some of the best coffee in the world. It is truly worth it. According to what they told me, there isn’t too much caffeine in Colombian coffee, so even children can drink it. They opted for a mochaccino.
Located in the historic district, Origen offers an excellent menu that you can enjoy on their interior terrace. High-quality traditional Colombian cuisine. The service is excellent and the historic district is pleasant to visit.
We were only there for two days and didn’t really know what to expect. In addition to walking around the city center, the historic district, and the Usaquén neighborhood near the hotel, several activities are available to you.
Rising to an altitude of 3,152 m, Monserrate offers a spectacular view of the city and surrounding area. At the very top is a sanctuary with its basilica, a major pilgrimage site. To get there, you can take the funicular, the cable car, or the hiking trail. It is recommended to buy your funicular or cable car tickets online, which will save you from having to wait in line when you arrive.
The funicular is very impressive. The steep climb up the mountainside allows us to admire a panoramic view of the Colombian capital. Once at the top, you can contemplate the view again and visit the basilica. You will also see that, like Mount Royal, Monserrate is very popular with locals, who come to walk with their families, run, etc.
For the descent, we took the nearly 6 km trail. On your way, you will encounter many vendors offering snacks. You’ll notice there are few junk food options; you’ll find fruit, juices, some pastries, water, and even homemade popsicles for $0.50!
The walk is truly worth it. At times, you can no longer see the city and you forget that just below, there are 12 million inhabitants, but you can’t even hear them.
Arriving at the bottom of Monserrate, we took the opportunity to visit the city a bit on our way to the Gold Museum. This museum houses an impressive collection of pre-Hispanic goldsmith objects.
You can get an audio guide in French that will allow you to learn more about the peoples before the arrival of the settlers, their traditions, etc. The museum is very well done, but perhaps less suited for children (or maybe it was just mine who wanted to do something else). The pieces on display are truly impressive.
While you are in Colombia, you can also take the opportunity to bring back some emeralds. An entire district is dedicated to the sale of these stones. You can visit the various shops and compare quality, colors, prices, etc.
We used Marriott Bonvoy points to book our stay, obtaining excellent value (over 1.1 cents per point). For on-site payments, we used a card with no foreign transaction fees, ideal for expenses in foreign currencies.
Our stay at the W Bogotá was a pleasant surprise. The welcome, the quality of the facilities, the local cuisine, and the many nearby activities make it a destination worth discovering. We highly recommend this hotel for a comfortable and rewarding stay in the Colombian capital.
To get our best advice on loyalty programs and the best credit cards for hotels, sign up for our newsletter.
Savings are this way (if you don’t see the signup form, click here):
You can change your preferences or opt out at any time by clicking on one of the hyperlinks available at the bottom of each newsletter.
If you are already a subscriber and would like to unsubscribe, you can click on the link at the bottom of any of our e-mails.
