We’re not sure exactly where the zero part comes in actually. But there is something charmingly minimal about the Zerohotel Valparaiso, a hotel that knows when to stop trying and just get out of the way. After all, they don’t call this place Paradise Valley for nothing; a cozy and comfortable nine-room guest house with views of the harbor and the colorful, hilly city is a winning proposition, and needn’t resort to boutique-hotel design theatrics.
It’s a restored 19th-century house high on a hillside above the port, and above all it’s the views and the location that make the place. Rooms are crisp and contemporary but hardly feel designed — they come with basics like reading lamps, flat-screen televisions, and up-to-date bathrooms, but nothing in the way of flash.
Breakfast is served in the Winter Garden against the backdrop of a panoramic view, and there are no fewer than four outdoor terraces from which to soak up the scenery, one with an outdoor Jacuzzi. There’s a light food service, for the times when you don’t feel like getting out to see the town, and local guides for when you do — which comes in handy in a town as unique as Valparaiso.
How to get there:
ZeroHotel is approximately a 1 3/4 hour drive from Santiago de Chile Airport.
author watson@mouselink.net, source www.tablethotels.com