After my somewhat longer but very relaxing flight with Lufthansa (CDG-MUC-FRA-BOG), I finally arrived in Bogota.
To get to the Sheraton Bogota, the friendly Lufthansa representative took me by the hand and I walked with my luggage to the counter for the airport shuttles. She didn’t let me out of her sight and stayed there as long as she was needed. Truly excellent service from Lufthansa First.
Booking
As the attentive reader may have noticed, I’m a fan of booking directly with hotel chains where I have status. As always, I combined this with cashback sites and booked directly through Marriott. The price was absolutely fair and reasonable.
Location
From Bogota airport, a shuttle runs quite regularly to the Sheraton — don’t be alarmed, as this shuttle also serves other hotels. There is a central shuttle desk (I think you could call it that) where you get put on a list and then taken to the hotel for free. The ride takes roughly 10–12 minutes depending on traffic, as I was told, which is pretty quick.
Check In
Well, this is where quite a bit of information is needed, and the whole process drags on almost endlessly for the casual observer. Passport copies are made at a very leisurely pace, someone types something for a very long time, and it simply takes time… time. But eventually I did have the room key in hand along with directions to the elevator. Unfortunately there was no information about whether I’d received an upgrade, but that wasn’t a big deal.
Room
As those who know me would expect, I had booked the cheapest room as always. I received a slightly better room — a bit more spacious, but otherwise nothing too special. Okay, there was one highlight: there were two beers (nicely presented) in the room as a welcome gift, along with a platter of cheese and some nuts. Wow, I somehow hadn’t expected this after the check-in experience, but I had asked the hotel beforehand if there could at least be a beer as a welcome amenity. They really surprised me in a very positive way here.
Besides a comfortable Sheraton bed, there was also a small minibar, a desk, and a seating area. There were plenty of power outlets, which I always consider a plus. Of course, there was also a wardrobe right at the entrance with space to set up the suitcase.
The bathroom was directly to the right upon entering the room, separated from the rest of the room by a kind of frosted glass.
To my surprise, there was more than enough shampoo, toothbrushes, etc. available — a really nice touch.
Lounge
Unfortunately, this was no longer open when I arrived. One notable feature here is that the lounge is located on the Executive floor. So essentially anyone with the right room key has access. The next morning, I wasn’t even asked which room I had. They simply assumed that if I was already on that floor, I must have access.
Breakfast
Normally I would prefer breakfast in a restaurant (unless I’m short on time). But here it was really well done, and besides a very comprehensive selection of dishes, there was also the option to order on the spot. For my taste, a really great option, and due to the few guests, you were promptly asked about drinks or food.
On top of that, you could help yourself from a fridge stocked with drinks. While elsewhere you might get dirty looks for that, here you were actually actively encouraged to do so. The staff were genuinely friendly and helpful. Their English skills were good, if not outstanding. But they made an effort and confirmed everything with a smile — that was really worth a lot.
Recreation
Okay, the pool and fitness area has a rather unique setup. There’s a fitness room that you can access with your room key. If you walk a bit too far from the exercise equipment, you end up right at the pool. It’s not separated in any way but located directly in the fitness room. I don’t mean this negatively — it’s just a rather unique solution.
Check Out
This went considerably faster than the check-in. The bill was correct, and I just had to wait a little for the Uber I had ordered.
Verdict
The location and short transfer time from the airport definitely speak in favor of this hotel. The staff are very friendly and genuinely eager to help. The room was clean, and all in all I’m really impressed with the value for money. Yes, I would come back. Unless, of course, Hilton has a nice promotion and I needed there ex
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