The Travel Chica

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Finding a Comfortable Apartment in Santiago with Roomorama

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I have been traveling for quite a while now.  Although I was able to settle down in Buenos Aires for a few months, I have still spent the majority of my nights in hostels over the past 15 months.

I had heard about short-term apartment rental services and figured this would be a good option for me when I want some privacy, a little bit of luxury, and have lots of photo uploading to do.  (Note:  My definition of luxury right now is very different from what it was 2 years ago.)

The timing was perfect when Roomorama approached me about reviewing their service.  I had lots of work to catch up on, including writing and editing and uploading a bazillion photos from Valdivia.

Plus, I was about to arrive in a major city, so there would be good options available.

Finding the Right Apartment for Me

I was surprised when I started browsing the available places in Santiago, Chile at just how many options there are and for a broad price range.  It is not just apartments and houses.  You can rent your own room in a family’s apartment and even find rooms in B&Bs.

I knew I wanted the privacy of my own apartment this time with a fully-equipped kitchen and wifi.  And I knew my budget.  I was able to quickly narrow it down to a handful of apartments.

Now to get into the details.

I could have used the filter to search amenities, but since there were not too many apartments after the initial filtering, I decided to look through the description and photos for each listing.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that apartments in my price range had both a pool, a gym, and great views of the city.

My favorite feature of Roomorama’s listings is the map.

Location is very important to me.  I wanted to be close to the metro and within walking distance of some of the main sites.  I was able to see the nearest intersection on the map and then made my final decision based on location.

Booking the Apartment

There are three things I like about the Roomorama booking system.

1.  You can send additional comments/ questions when you submit your inquiry.

Because some apartments are listed under multiple rental services, the owners do not keep the availability calendars up to date in all systems.  Since I knew this was most likely the case and that my travel dates are flexible, I stated this in the comments in case the apartment was not available for the exact dates I chose.

2.  You can have dialogue with the landlord via the secure Roomorama system.

The apartment was not available for the specific dates I chose but opened up a couple of days later.  The landlord and I were able to send messages to each other through the system to determine a check-in date.  I did NOT have to keep submitting new queries with new dates to determine availability.

3.  You do not have to pay the landlord directly.

My biggest concern about renting an apartment is the security of the transaction and having some protection if the apartment is not as described.  With Roomorama, the financial transaction is all done through the company using secure online payment, and money never changed hands between me and the landlord. 

Plus, the landlord did not receive payment until after check in, so I knew I would see the apartment before the money was released.

Enjoying My Apartment

I had a great welcome to the apartment.  The landlord showed me around and answered my questions.  He had put together a booklet with great information for visiting Santiago and surrounding areas, including walking maps.

I had a wonderful view as described in the listing.

Bonus:  A hair dryer.

Do you know how long it has been, since I was able to properly style my hair?!!

The only issue I had was that none of the equipment in the gym actually worked.

I immediately informed the landlord, and he was unaware of the situation.  Previous guests probably never tried to use the gym and/ or never reported it to him.  He immediately contacted the building management and removed the gym from the list of amenities on Roomorama’s website.

A respectable reaction to the issue.

I will definitely look at Roomorama for my future travels.

If you want more details about how it works, check out this helpful info for booking an apartment.

What do you think about short-term apartment rental?  Has it helped you experience some of the comforts of home while on the road?

Comments

  4. We LOVE short-term apartment rentals. It’s so much cheaper than other options (hotels, and even hostels for a couple), plus you get a kitchen! We’ve rented apartments in Berlin, Malta, Prague, Budapest, and Chiang Mai – it’s by far our favorite type of travel accommodations. We’re even thinking of “settling down” in Seattle for a while, and we’ll probably get a short term apartment for at least a few months so we can get a sense of where we want to live in the city (plus then we wouldn’t have to buy furniture, which is a huge commitment, lol).
    Christy @ Technosyncratic recently posted..Strange Street Foods in Thailand

  10. We always try to find an apartment if we’re staying longer than four days. I don’t think we’ve had any unpleasant experiences whereas we’ve had quite a few with hotel stays. Roomorama sounds like a great way to rent, since I’ve found it more difficult to find something legitimate through a private arrangement. I’m so with you on hair dryers being a must – so tough when you’re in and out of hostels.
    Andrea recently posted..Visa Runs – The Mandatory Vacation

  13. It sounds like there were some great options. Nice too that you were able to see it in person before the landlord was paid. That is a great perk.

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