Hotel Magnolia

Character and identity

Santiago's first dedicated design hotel sits inside a restored 1929 mansion at the foot of Cerro Santa Lucía, steps from the old town and the Bellas Artes gallery. The 42 rooms play old against new: a Neo-Gothic facade, stained glass and black-and-white marble floors in the foyer give way to bedrooms wrapped in pale wood paneling and neutral linens with a clear Scandinavian streak. The rooftop terrace is the social heart, pouring Chilean cabernet against a view of downtown and Santa Lucía hill. An airy ground-floor restaurant and bar handles the daytime rhythm. Service is boutique-scaled and informal.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The appeal here is the building and the neighbourhood: a 1929 mansion turned design hotel that puts you on foot in central Santiago, with a rooftop worth lingering on. Spend the money if you value location and aesthetic over amenity breadth. Book a room on an upper floor for the light, and aim for a clear evening to claim a terrace table at sunset.