The short answer by type of trip
Most first-time visitors staying a week or less do well in a hotel. Bogotá is a large city at altitude, and a front desk that can call a taxi or hold your bags makes the first days simpler.
- First visit, 2 to 7 nights: a hotel in one of the areas on our where to stay in Bogotá page.
- Two weeks or more, or you want to cook: an apartment or an aparthotel with a kitchen.
- Solo, on a budget, looking for company: a hostel, ideally with a 24-hour front desk.
- Small, personal places: a guesthouse or a B&B (bed and breakfast).
- Early flight or late arrival: one of the hotels near El Dorado, Bogotá's international airport, west of the center.
We looked at more than 2,500 places to stay in Bogotá. About six in ten of them are apartments, and hotels make up just over a quarter. Hostels are a small group of more than 50.
Hotel, apartment or hostel in Bogotá: the comparison
The table compares the five main types of places to stay in the city. The counts are the places we looked at in Bogotá, rounded down.
| Type | Places we looked at | Service on site | Kitchen | Suits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel | More than 680 | Front desk, often 24 hours; staff can call a taxi | Rare, except in suites | First visits, short stays, business trips | The area matters more than the stars; check the distance to where you'll spend your days |
| Aparthotel and suites | 70 | Front desk plus apartment-style rooms | Usually a kitchenette | Stays of one to eight weeks, families | Small choice per area |
| Apartment | More than 1,560 | Often none; the host arranges check-in | In most | Long stays, families, remote workers | Late arrivals, key handover, and heating depend on the host |
| Hostel | More than 50 | Front desk, shared lounges, and dorms | Shared, in some | Solo travelers on a budget | Noise in shared rooms; some are adults only |
| Guesthouse and B&B | More than 150 | A small team, often the owners | Rare | Travelers who like small places | Front desk hours vary; confirm a late check-in |
Hotels: the simplest start
A hotel gives you a front desk, a lobby to wait in, and someone who can book a taxi at night. In Bogotá that counts, because a taxi booked by the hotel or through an app is the usual way to move around after dark.
Hotels are spread unevenly across the city. Salitre and Ciudad Empresarial has more than 170, the most of any area we cover, and the airport area has more than 100. La Candelaria and downtown has more than 90, and Parque 93 and Chicó more than 70.
Pick a hotel if you are in Bogotá for a week or less, land late, or have an appointment to keep, such as an interview at the embassy. For that trip, see our list of hotels near the US Embassy.
Book it if: it's your first visit and you want help on hand. Skip it if: you need a kitchen for more than a few days, or a family of five needs separate bedrooms.
Apartments: space and a kitchen, less support
Apartments are the largest group, with more than 1,560 of the places we looked at in Bogotá. La Candelaria and downtown has more than 300, Parque 93 and Chicó more than 250, and Chapinero more than 210.
The upside is space, a kitchen, and a residential street instead of a lobby. The downside is that nobody may be on site when you land late, lock yourself out, or can't get the water heater going. Some apartment buildings do have a 24-hour front desk, so check the listing.
In a hotel you can call reception for another blanket. In an apartment, ask the host before you book whether there is a heater or extra bedding.
Terrazas in Chapinero has a guest rating of 8.8/10 from more than 2,000 reviews, a 24-hour front desk, and a kitchen. The Hood 102 is about 1.2 km (0.7 miles) from Parque 93 as the crow flies. It lists a kitchen and an elevator, with a guest rating of 8.9/10 from more than 1,000 reviews.
Torre Acqua Lofts in downtown Bogotá lists a 24-hour front desk, parking, and a kitchen, with a guest rating of 8.7/10 from more than 1,000 reviews. Urban Heights Bogota in Chapinero is adults only and has a guest rating of 9.0/10 from more than 1,000 reviews.
The full list is on our apartments in Bogotá page. For a specific area, see apartments in Chapinero, apartments in Parque 93 and Chicó, or apartments in La Candelaria.
Aparthotels and suites: the middle ground
An aparthotel combines a hotel front desk with apartment-style rooms, usually with a kitchenette. We looked at 70 in Bogotá, with the most in Chapinero (14) and in Parque 93 and Chicó (13).
Hotel Living 55 in Chapinero is a 4-star aparthotel with a kitchen and breakfast, and pets are allowed. It has a guest rating of 8.1/10 from more than 1,000 reviews.
Continental Aparthotel Bogotá, downtown, lists a 24-hour front desk, parking, family rooms, and an elevator. Its guest rating is 8.5/10 from more than 900 reviews.
Lancaster House in Parque 93 and Chicó fills the same gap from the other side. It is listed as an apartment, yet it has a 24-hour front desk, a spa, a hot tub, a gym, and breakfast. Its guest rating is 8.5/10 from more than 1,000 reviews. Compare them all on our suites and aparthotels in Bogotá page.
Book it if: you stay two to eight weeks and want both a stove and a front desk. Skip it if: you only sleep in the room and eat out.
Hostels: budget beds and built-in company
We looked at more than 50 hostels in Bogotá. La Candelaria and downtown has 17 of them and the airport area 13, so a hostel stay usually means the historic center or a night near El Dorado.
A dorm bed is usually the lowest-priced bed in the city, and many hostels also sell private rooms. Before you book, ask about lockers, a 24-hour front desk, and whether the hostel is adults only.
Viajero Bogotá Hostel & Spa in La Candelaria is a 4-star hostel for adults only, with a spa, a sauna, and a restaurant. It has a guest rating of 8.5/10 from more than 2,000 reviews.
Masaya Bogotá and Granada Hostel, also in La Candelaria, have guest ratings of 8.9/10 and 8.8/10, each from more than 1,000 reviews. Bendito Hostels in Teusaquillo is adults only, with a guest rating of 8.9/10 from more than 1,000 reviews.
La Candelaria is the historian among Bogotá's neighborhoods: colonial streets and museums by day, quiet at night. After dark, take an app taxi from the door. Browse hostels in La Candelaria or all hostels in Bogotá.
Guesthouses and B&Bs: small and personal
We looked at more than 150 guesthouses in Bogotá, and almost a third of them (48) are in the airport area. They suit travelers who prefer a small place, and breakfast is listed at many of them.
Palermo Home Bogota & Art Gallery in Teusaquillo has a guest rating of 9.1/10 from more than 1,000 reviews and a 24-hour front desk. Casa Tsao in La Candelaria is a 4-star guesthouse rated 9.0/10 from more than 700 reviews.
Cal Bed & Breakfast is about 4.7 km from El Dorado, with parking listed and a guest rating of 9.3/10 from more than 600 reviews. More options are on our guesthouses in Bogotá page.
Four questions that decide it
- How many nights? Up to a week, a hotel keeps things simple. From about two weeks, a kitchen starts to earn its place.
- What time do you land? If you arrive at El Dorado late, a 24-hour front desk means you don't depend on a host answering the phone.
- Who is traveling? Families and groups often get more room in an apartment, and solo travelers get company in a hostel.
- Where will you spend your days? The area matters more than the type. Choose the area first, then the type within it.
Families have their own list of family hotels in Bogotá, with family rooms listed at each one. For budget questions, see our guide to Bogotá hotel prices.
