Looking for a reasonable priced hotel near the embassy in Bogota, does anyone have information on this ? Seeems like all the travel websites like Travelocity etc. don't have much to offer and the few hotels they do list are already booked for November.

Hmmm...I'm dying to tell you which one I stayed at about 4 years ago when I received a K1 for my ex-wife. I plan to return to this one with Vicky because it was so nice....give me some time to find it...it is a major chain but I need to look it up.

How much time do you need? This was not the cheapest hotel, but by far the most convenient and nicest in the area. I have looked all of them up online and am torn between two major cahins but all of them have crappy pictures and I am not too sure. The one we stayed at is a major chain hi-rise, very elegant, blocks from the Embassy and has a beautiful courtyard with a great Italian and ice-cream place caddycorner to it.

I needed to know this again anyway, so I have ordered my credit card statements from what is actually 3.5 years ago - I will get them in about a week - I will post the info then if you still want it.

I will be talking with my wife who lives in Bogota later tonight. I will ask here if she knows of any. I can remember a few hotels close to the embassy as we drove by but cannot remember the names. Even if it is not real close there are plenty within a short and cheap taxi ride from the embassy. I will re-post after we talk tonight.

Doug

Thanks much both of you for any input. Looks like it will be soon as in November of next month sometime. Exact date is still pending the result of the posting at the end of the month since the packet 4 is somewhere between Bogota and Cali.

Cool man...I'll get you the name asap - its either the Radisson or something else - cant remember for the life of me! At any rate, until then I WILL suggest you are careful not to select a low-budget local hotel or anything real discounted. For that trip, and all that is involved, we just didnt find a place that we thought we would be comfortable in for such an important trip!

I definitely agree with what Brad says about the low budget hotels. I made the mistake of staying at a decent, but economical hotel in Cali in May 2006. I left to go eat lunch and when I returned to my room my laptop, professional camera, point and shoot digital camera, cell phone, mp3 player, etc. were stolen. I called the police, but as you can probably imagine the police in Colombia were not that interested in helping out a "gringo" who got his stuff stolen. You can file a "denuncia" against the hotel with the courts down there, but they were on strike during my trip. I learned that many of the higher-end hotels will try to make good with the guest if this happens whereas the samller low-budget hotels will do nothing (as I found out). Learn from my expericence and stay somewhere nice.

Mark

Here is a web site. Look down towards the bottom of it.

http://poorbuthappy.com/colombia/node/6520


Also I would suggest to stay around Park 93. It is one of the safer areas. I normally stay there for around $60 a night and it is very safe. I normally rent an apartment. Sorry I can't remember the name of it. My fiancee now makes the reservations for it. Your wife to be should be able to find a place for you easier than you could. I would not worry about being near the embassy. The taxi ride is not to expensive and you will only need to go there 2x. There are plenty of restaurants and bars at park 93 for entertainment while you're in town.

Good luck on your trip. I will be there on Friday (10th) next week. You can send me a personal note if you want to from this site and I can email you the name and number to the place when I arrive. They have internet access and I will check my mail.

Rodney

We will also be there on the tenth for the scheduled medical, then staying in town until the interview on the 14th.

Good luck on the interview. Email or post the details of the interview next week.

I plan to go to the embassy on the 13th to deliver first round of papers for packet 3. This should get us a December appointment.

Stay at the Sheraton Four Points,,,close,,,decent price,,breakfast included,,fantastic hotel!!!

Thanks for all the help. I will post the results of the interview for all Colombia thread members.