Whimsy. It’s the only way to describe this little hotel in the heart of Colonia.
Posadita de la Plaza started as a photo gallery, but owner, photographer and artist Eduardo Alvares Boszko keeps expanding it as it grows in popularity.
You enter through the gallery at street front. The gallery reflects the personality and taste of Eduardo. His beautiful photographs are along the walls and everywhere else you’ll find his eclectic collages and collections. Eduardo loves conversation and you’ll be delighted with his stories of life in Colonia, his native Brazil and of his travels.
The hotel has four rooms, one in the same building as the gallery, and three out back through an art-filled garden with a small plunge pool (which helps beat the significant summer heat). There are a few lounge chairs and tables in the garden area, as well as more of Eduardo’s collections.
The rooms are more subtly decorated than the public spaces, but also have touches of whimsy. Ours featured vinyl records on the wall and black and white palm trees, as well as a comfortable bed with crisp sheets, mini-fridge, flat screen TV with DIRECTV and DVD player, safe, A/C, plus an immense closet covered in vintage newspaper ads. The bathroom was light-filled and spacious with a large shower space (duel-headed) and big sink (I’d love this bathroom at home!)
Breakfast is served in a room off the gallery, with Eduardo, as he says, “searching for excellence in simplicity”. The breakfast — including fresh juice, warm bread with French jam and dulche de leche, Nespresso, ham, cheese and yogurt — is so large you won’t have room at your table for everything at the same time.
Leave time during your stay to browse through Eduardo’s photography prints to take home a unique memory of beautiful Colonia.
From US$135 to 160 inclusive of breakfast
– Owner Eduardo’s enthusiasm and hospitality
– Delicious breakfast
– Spacious bathrooms with lovely fixtures
– If your taste is for more toward traditional hotel decor, you might prefer a more traditional hotel
– It’s great to have the plunge pool, but in the height of summer you might want a swimming space
Johanna Read
Contributing Editor
On the south side of Iceland, in a little enclave at the base of a mountain, Hotel Anna provides guests with a country cottage experience. The hotel is the original home of Iceland’s first female travel writer, Sigríður Anna Jónsdóttir, and has a museum on-site to honor her and the work she did. Her books are on sale at the front desk. The few houses, church, and cemetery scattered nearby are what’s left of the original fishing village in that location; part of the museum explores the town’s history.
The restaurant offers traditional Icelandic food in a dining room full of antique displays and the former owner’s belongings. The staff is exceptional. We arrived right when dinner service was ending, but they let us stay and eat, alerted us when the Northern Lights were out, and then served us our dessert outside so we could keep watching.
Hotel Anna is a small house with few rooms, but all are equipped with antique furniture, comfortable beds, and some have private patios. The lobby area doubles as a sitting room and has books and games available for guest use. Maps of Iceland are on the front desk and the staff is happy to assist with any directions or suggestions needed. A short drive away is Seljalandsfoss, a waterfall with a path to walk behind it and one of the many popular sights for tourists.
From US$120 per night. Includes buffet breakfast, hot tub, and sauna.
– Perfect location to watch the Northern Lights.
– Close to waterfalls.
– It’s easy to drive past the road to the hotel.
Jennifer Billock
Review Team
Getting to Tamaya is like disappearing into nature. Guests have to drive along a winding road through the desert until nothing is in sight but the surrounding landscape. The resort itself is painted to match desert colors and seems to rise out of the ground like a mirage. Beyond the resort lies sacred land for the indigenous population in the area that guests are not allowed to on, but it’s clearly marked so there’s no confusion.
Both valet and lot parking are available, but go with valet —- the staff is incredibly friendly and remembers all the guests. That’s echoed throughout the resort; hospitality and a positive attitude permeate everything. A concierge is available for guest use both near the front desk and upstairs in the private lounge, where snacks and drinks are served to club members on a daily basis.
The rooms are large and well appointed, with private balconies. On-site amenities include two pools (one is adults-only), a garden of fresh herbs, horse stables, a hot tub with a waterfall, hiking trails, and a bevy of classes and activities available. I did a horseback ride through the desert to the river and an adobe brickmaking class, where the guest participates in every aspect of the process from grinding the clay and mixing it with water, to stuffing it in a form and decorating it. It’s dried overnight and left in the room in the morning.
The resort’s restaurant, Corn Maiden, is consistently ranked one of the best in Albuquerque and uses local food with ingredients produced on the property.
From US$189
– Although close to Albuquerque, Tamaya feels separated from the world.
– The adobe bricks can break easily.
Jennifer Billock
Review Team
Alma Histórica is one of those rare hotels that just makes you happy. The hotel is thoughtfully designed and beautifully decorated, staff are kind and take care to ensure your stay is wonderful.
In the heart of Montevideo’s historical centre, the boutique hotel is ideally located for exploring Montevideo’s stunning architecture and incredible food scene. The hotel is at the corner of a pretty city park, and you’re just a couple minutes’ stroll to the Rambla waterfront and Sarandi pedestrian street.
This 15-room boutique hotel has a strong commitment to Uruguayan art and culture. The building was an old family house, carefully restored and renovated. Original wood floors and tiles were kept wherever possible and laid in the new building. Antique furniture is featured throughout, and at breakfast you’ll enjoy your breakfast, including Pilar’s perfect omelettes, on beautiful mismatched china.
The hotel promotes the artistic history of Montevideo and Uruguay. Each room is named after a different artist and decorated accordingly. My room — appropriately, named after writer Don Horacio — even has an old Underwood typewriter. Little artistic details are everywhere. Up the beautiful staircase in the library, I fell in love with artist Hugo Alonso’s sculptures fashioned from intricately folded old books.
Each room at Alma Histórica is unique. You can choose pillows from their pillow collection, and they’ll be encased in the 320 thread count Egyptian cotton linens. Bathrooms are large and modern, featuring hand-made amenities. Rooms have a safe, minibar, tv and desk; superior rooms and suites have more room, sitting areas, and some have balconies.
On the building’s roof terrace — a perfect place for a marriage proposal — you can watch the sun sink into the Rio de la Plata while enjoying cocktails or fabulous Uruguayan wine. There’s a hot tub up here too (though during our stay it was a better temperature for a sunny afternoon rather than evening soak).
Alma Histórica is a hotel where culture, hospitality, art, history, and unique experiences are important. You’ll love your stay here.
From US$250 to $350, inclusive of breakfast, taxes and fees
– Atmosphere full of Uruguayan history and art and a team that is thrilled to introduce you to it
– Pilar’s omelette perfection, accompanied by cappuccino, fresh fruits, nuts, yogurt and an abundance of pastries
– Enjoy romantic cocktails on the roof terrace watching the sun set over Montevideo’s stunning architecture
– Classic rooms are a bit small for two people; if you’re staying more than one night (and you should!) upgrade to a superior room or suite for more space.
Johanna Read
Contributing Editor