2 Star Hotels in Calama

We wanted a confortable bed with duvet ( not heavy blankets) and a decent shower. We got that. But from the start there were issues. The extra bed in the triple room wasnt done and there were hairs on the mattress. The shower was burning hot. No cold water.! We had to go twice downstairs to get a man to fix it. We had problem to get Internet and had yet again to go downstairs to get help. (There is no way of contacting reception so we spent the first hour going down many times.) Internet does work. We waited for the third bed to be cleaned and done but at the end we had to do the bed ourselves. The air con didn't work despite the fact that the technician was there fixing the water. He looked at it and decided it works. Well it didn't. 🌝Breakfast was good. The staff was very helpful and friendly. The problems were sorted. The location of the hotel is good. You can easily walk into town or go to the modern shopping mall where you find cash point and money exchange at good rates.

Located in Calama, Sol del Desierto is in the mountains, a 2-minute drive from Chiu Chui Church and 11 minutes from Pukara de Lasana Archaeological Site. This bed & breakfast is 20.9 mi (33.6 km) from Mall Plaza Calama.Take in the views from a terrace and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access and tour/ticket assistance. Getting to nearby attractions is a breeze with the area shuttle (surcharge) that operates within 30.00 kilometers.Mingle with other guests at the complimentary reception, held daily. A complimentary full breakfast is served daily.Featured amenities include a computer station, luggage storage, and coffee/tea in a common area. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available on request), and free self parking is available onsite.Make yourself at home in one of the 8 guestrooms. Your Select Comfort bed comes with down comforters. Prepare your meals in the shared/communal kitchen. Bathrooms have showers and hair dryers.

The rooms -- including bathrooms -- are tiny, which did not bother us as digital nomads because they still offered a lot of storage. The first floor lobby spills into an enormous dining room/work hall with plenty of seating and a variety of table heights (great for me to work sitting then move to a standing position). Lots of natural light and you can people watch through the windows. 24 hour attention @ the front desk and wifi speeds work GREAT in the room and best in the lobby. Brekkie is included in your rate and very good compared to other breakfasts we have eaten throughout our stay in Chile, including eggs made to order. Cafeteria offers buffet style or a la carte lunch + dinner. The sandwich we had for dinner was average, but keep in mind there are not many restaurants open on a Sunday in the area. Secure, off-street parking and we found that ~33% of the front desk staff we encountered spoke some English. NEGATIVES: 1) The room size is tight, but fine, except that there did not seem to be much air flow. This led to us sleeping with the window cracked for circulation, but the street noise is a distraction throughout the night. Bring ear plugs. 2) The included gym is a good thought but does not have free weights/weight lifting equipment; only cardio. For ~$6 USD/$5000 CHP there is a full gym 1 block away where you can buy a day pass. 3) Hotel contract mentions a safe in the room, but we did not see one in ours?! That would have been a useful touch. 4) I know the hotel cannot help its location, but I do not believe this is in the ”best” area of town. That being said, Calama is a bit rough anyway so the entire city itself statistically is not as safe as the aggregate of Chile. Case in point, EVERYONE tells you to not be out after sunset and the day of our arrival a poor teen was stabbed ~5 blocks from the hotel. This does not reflect in my rating of the hotel, but travelers should know that going into Calama/this hotel.

We stayed one night after our Atacama visit due to a morning flight to Santiago. At first glance it seems like a nice upscale hotel but... The reception staff was so rude it was like we were bothering them to check in. The hotel had sent an email previously about the need to pay in USD cash if we wanted to avoid the 19% tax so I had brought that along to pay. Turns out they would only take a credit card - they said the tax wouldn't be charged but that remains to be seen. We arrived at about 5:00 with no lunch and were starving but the restaurant doesn't open until 7pm and there is absolutely nothing else in the vicinity. The lobby bar wasn't even open until 7. There is supposedly a minibar in the room but it was completely empty. Finally went to dinner at 7 and the wait staff was no nicer than that reception staff - however, the food was good. The room was quiet and comfortable but there are no USB plugs and only one side of the bed has a plug of any sort. Cleanliness in both the room and the common areas was mediocre at best. Bottom line, it's close to the airport and will do for one night but I sure wouldn't want to be stuck there longer than that.

I stayed one night at the Ibis Calama on a room + breakfast rate booked through an online travel agency. This was a one night stay in Calama as part of a trip to San Pedro de Atacama as I had a videoconference I needed to participate in, and didn't have time to make it from my flight to San Pedro for it. The trip started off with an early arrival at the hotel around 10am local. As expected, the front desk staff (and everyone in Calama) spoke no English. This wasn't a huge deal as my Spanish was sufficient to negotiate the process. I was initially told that I could not check in until 3pm, despite my booking stating a noon check-in, but when I asked if I could pay to check in then, I was quoted US$29. Upon paying, I was given a room on the 2nd floor facing the Jumbo supermarket. The room itself was small, as expected, but the overall cleanliness of the room significantly missed my expectations for a chain hotel. There were crumbs and hair on the floor, lipstick stains on the towels, hair on the shower floor, and the toilet flusher was malfunctioning. The room served its purpose for my videoconference, and the free internet was sufficiently speedy with low latency. During a break I ran downstairs to try and grab lunch at the restaurant (as even the signs in the elevator claimed it should have been open) however, the front desk clerk noted that it was not open for lunch. No apology or reason, just a ”not open”. The resturant did open for dinner, and the service and food exceeded my expectations for the type of property. There were a number of items not avalable, but given that I was looking for a close-by dinner- it fit the bill. Checkout was painfully slow. Two clerks working the front desk, but both were working on one computer (almost as if a clerk + traineee). No issues with that, but they were having significant issues with the printer. After 20 minutes of helping the first person in line, they decided to offer to email him his receipt. Being the 3rd person in line, it took almost 40 minutes to checkout at 0800. The last point of note in on Calama in general, while it appears the hotel is in the 'nicer' part of the city, it definitely didn't feel like a good place to be outside of the hotel. Pulling up, you are greeted by barbed wire surrounding the hotel, and around 1am I was awoken to the sound of about a dozen gunshots followed by sirens that appeared to not be terribly far away. Not holding that against the hotel, but thought it would be important to note. Next time I would do my best to avoid Calama, but if I had to stay in Calama, the Ibis might be the place I stay in again.

Good in all aspects

The rooms are spacious and very comfortable, American hotel type, with fridge, microwave and even a bottle of water for courtesy. The breakfast is delicious, when I hosted, I had a stick of cheese-which was delicious! I'm sorry you have no hotel like this in San Pedro in that price range. It has a restaurant in the hotel with very tasty foods, but the price is half high.

The hotel has a rich breakfast and many fruits; the rooms are clean and the service is good. 15 minutes walk to the city center. Uber takes a car to the airport for about ten minutes

With a stay at Diego De Almagro Calama in Calama, you'll be within a 10-minute walk of Calama Municipal Stadium and San Juan Bautista Cathedral. This hotel is 0.7 mi (1.1 km) from Sol Calama Casino and 1 mi (1.5 km) from Mall Plaza Calama.Take advantage of recreational opportunities offered, including an outdoor pool, a sauna, and a fitness center.Enjoy a satisfying meal at Chuquimata serving guests of Diego De Almagro Calama. Wrap up your day with a drink at the bar/lounge.Featured amenities include complimentary newspapers in the lobby, a 24-hour front desk, and multilingual staff. This hotel has 5 meeting rooms available for events. Free self parking is available onsite.Make yourself at home in one of the 146 air-conditioned rooms featuring minibars and LCD televisions. Satellite television is provided for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature rainfall showerheads and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as safes and desks.

When you stay at Hotel Agua del Desierto in Calama, you'll be near the airport, within a 5-minute drive of Calama Municipal Stadium and Sol Calama Casino. This hotel is 1.8 mi (3 km) from San Juan Bautista Cathedral and 1.9 mi (3 km) from Mall Plaza Calama.Be sure to enjoy recreational amenities, including an outdoor pool, a fitness center, and bicycles to rent. This hotel also features complimentary wireless internet access, concierge services, and barbecue grills.Enjoy Regional cuisine at OASIS Restaurante, a restaurant where you can enjoy drinks at the bar/lounge, take in the garden view, and even dine alfresco. You can also stay in and take advantage of the room service (during limited hours). Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at the poolside bar. A complimentary on-the-go breakfast is served on weekdays from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM and on weekends from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM.Featured amenities include a business center, dry cleaning/laundry services, and a 24-hour front desk. Event facilities at this hotel consist of conference space and meeting rooms. Guests may use a roundtrip airport shuttle for a surcharge, and free self parking is available onsite.Make yourself at home in one of the 64 guestrooms featuring minibars and LCD televisions. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature hair dryers and toothbrushes and toothpaste. Conveniences include phones, as well as safes and desks.