We hadn't built our South America trip around Santiago. I needed a way back to North America and found a LATAM flight to Miami, so we turned the connection into a two-night stopover in September 2026. It seemed a sensible chance to see somewhere new rather than simply transit.
We arrived without particularly high expectations. The city was fine, and the sightseeing gave us an introduction to it. But if you asked me what I'd most like to repeat from those two nights, my answer wouldn't be the tour or the viewpoint. It would be Hotel Magnolia.
A hotel with a personality of its own
I liked Magnolia almost immediately for the way it felt. The room was modern and comfortable, with clean-lined furnishings and a contemporary bathroom. It was a pleasant place to come back to, although I wouldn't pretend the room alone was something extraordinary or invent a suite upgrade we never received.
The more distinctive part of the hotel was downstairs. The library-style lounge—with its shelves of books, old typewriter and intimate seating—had far more character than the anonymous bar spaces I've seen in plenty of hotels. It felt like somewhere we actually wanted to spend time, not merely walk through.
The wine bar I hadn't encountered anywhere else
The biggest surprise was the wine bar. During our September 2026 stay, we understood the arrangement to be open around the clock with unlimited refills. I'd never come across anything quite like that at a hotel.
It wasn't just the idea of complimentary wine. The setting made it memorable: glasses on a small table, shelves of books behind us and a room that felt designed for staying a little longer. This became one of the details I remembered most vividly from Santiago.
I would distinguish our experience from a current booking promise. We were told about those terms on our visit; I wouldn't assume that every room rate or future booking includes 24-hour, unlimited wine service without checking with the hotel directly.
The minibar surprise—and the booking detail that matters
There was another unexpected benefit. At the front desk, we were told that our particular booking through American Express Travel included complimentary access to the in-room minibar. We could use or take the existing contents, including the bottles of wine, but the minibar wouldn't be replenished.
For someone used to carefully checking minibar prices, that was a rather delightful conversation.
The distinction is important: this was a benefit attached to our historical Amex booking, not a hotel-wide entitlement. I wouldn't present the same minibar access, or the wine bottles it contained, as something every guest receives today.
A very good dinner at Magnolia Bistró
We also had a genuinely enjoyable Chilean meal at Magnolia Bistró, the hotel's ground-floor restaurant. As vegetarians, finding food we like is part of how we judge a trip, and this dinner was one of the more memorable parts of our Santiago stop. I don't need to dress it up with dish names I haven't verified; what stayed with me was that we ate very well.
The hotel also marked a birthday during our stay with a little cake and a handwritten note. It was a thoughtful detail, and another reason the stop felt personal.
Breakfast was a quieter part of the experience. The coffee, fruit and relaxed setting were a nice contrast to our time outside the hotel. Neither meal needs to be described as a guaranteed inclusion for someone booking a different rate. For us, they helped turn a practical stopover into a stay we would remember.
And what about Santiago?
We took a private half-day city tour, visited San Cristóbal and walked back towards the hotel afterward. It was all worthwhile as an introduction, but nothing made me want to plan a dedicated return to Santiago simply for sightseeing.
I found the view from San Cristóbal interesting, although it didn't move me the way Rio's Sugarloaf Mountain had—and even Sugarloaf doesn't displace the mountain landscapes I've enjoyed in places like Banff or Stanserhorn. That's my personal frame of reference, not a judgement that nobody else should enjoy Santiago.
Two nights made sense because we arrived quite late. With an earlier arrival, I suspect one night would have been enough for the kind of stopover we wanted.
Would I stay at Hotel Magnolia again?
Happily. I don't expect to plan another trip to Santiago for the city alone, but I can easily imagine passing through on a future journey to Patagonia or Easter Island. If that happens, I'd look at Magnolia again before I looked anywhere else—while checking the rate and inclusions afresh.
That's the distinction this stay left me with. Not every city has to become a favourite, and not every luxury hotel needs a dramatic suite or spectacular view to make a lasting impression.
Santiago was fine. Hotel Magnolia is the reason I'd stop again.