Hotel Casa Somerscales

We chose the top room at this very well located boutique hotel. It has a great feel (like you are walking into a 19th century shipping family house). The top room has a great view of the harbour and the local neighbourhood. The hotel staff were very helpful organising transfers to and from Santiago with the wonderful Carlos as well as a half day tour of Valparaiso. Fair price for what we got.

Absolutely wonderful, made all the more superb by Hector, the manager/reception/host who was so kind and friendly and gave us recommendations on restaurants, etc. We had the terrace room and it was so delightful - very cute, homey and charming with a lovely view of the streets all the way to the harbor, and even able to see our cruise ship dock. Bed comfy, and while bathroom was not luxury, it is simple and adequate. The location is absolutely perfect (although a little far from Pablo Neruda house), but just a few steps from the “hippy/happy steps.” Great area for walking and restaurants, and close enough to walk to the harbor/waterfront. Breakfast was simple so we decided to eat at local restaurants. Beware no elevator, and long flight up from the street to the main entrance, but Hector insisted on taking our luggage up and down.

If you can afford it, the room with balcony has fabulous views. Beautiful public areas. Really helpful staff. Great breakfast. Very close to great restaurants and very centrally positioned for all the key sights. Thoroughly recommend this place.

We stayed here for two nights before joining a cruise. The hotel was very comfortable and a beautiful building dating back to the 19th century. Furnishings were of the period, so nothing at all modern, but absolutely appropriate for such a historical building. I wouldn't personally describe it as a boutique hotel, as that raised my expectations higher than the reality, but it was certainly a pleasant place to stay for a short while. Hector (the receptionist-cum-everything-else-person) was on duty 24/7 for the 72 hours we were visiting. He was such a lovely man, nothing was too much trouble for him. He gave us information on where to go, and more importantly where not to go. We were unfortunately given what was probably the least comfortable room (#1) but nevertheless it was perfectly adequate for our needs and the amount paid. It was quiet and we slept brilliantly. The area felt safe and it was easy to find our way around. Perfectly located near plenty of restaurants.

This is the ideal boutique hotel: it's in a quiet neighborhood. The staff is friendly and helpful. The breakfasts are ample and the rooms are clean and airy. I spent 4 nights in the Panoramic Room - with a large balcony offering 180 degree view of the town below and the bay. Hector at the front desk was very helpful in offering recommendations for things to do - and how to get around in the town as well as visiting Vina del Mar and beaches to the north of Vina. I'd stay at Hotel Sommerscales again in a heartbeat.

The TripAdvisor reviews and the photos swayed us to choose this ‘boutique’ hotel. Unfortunately in reality the truth was more ‘hovel’ than boutique and I think we must have had the room in the twilight zone. Room 7 at the top of the house was poorly maintained with a lingering damp smell. The woodwork was rotten, the curtains torn, the walls in poor repair, the upholstery stained and the bathroom fixtures unappealingly stained. Fortunately at least the bed was clean, if hilariously connected to the wall. We slept with the window open to freshen the damp smell. The small shared balcony would have been quite appealing because the views were magnificent, however the maintenance here too was sadly lacking. The woodwork was rotten and there were bird droppings decorating the extraction pipe and lower roof area. I appreciate that there are many gulls in Valparaiso but some cleaning should be done to make the balcony a safer, cleaner place to sit. The breakfast was just awful, in fact the ‘croissants’ were the worst thing I have ever tried, I still have bad memories of tasting it. We only stayed two nights and the second morning chose to eat out save for coffee and the fruit. Looking from the front of the property it appears that the rooms at the front have white UVPC windows so have been replaced. It’s possible that we were just unlucky and had the worst room in the property. Book this hotel with care and make a note that you don’t want room 7!

More a B&B than a boutique hotel, but even if the place is less posh than you might think by looking at the pics, it still has plenty of old world charm (and a few vintage radios and typewriters on display). No elevator, but anyhow, Valparaiso is a city of thousands of stairs - just bear that in mind if your mobility is limited. Breakfast unspectacular, but excellent receptionists.