Hotels near or around Santa Ana, Bello, Medellin

jelsaad says on May 3, 2005, 13:40:

Cousin:

0 funny, 0 helpful.

jelsaad says on May 3, 2005, 13:40:

Cousin:

0 funny, 0 helpful.

jelsaad says on May 3, 2005, 13:40:

Cousin: You received several responses to this question in the other thread in which you asked this a few days ago.

In short: Bello/Bello Niquia are among the most violent, dangerous, most dilapidated and generally unpleasant areas to stay in Medellin. For your own safety DO NOT stay there.
Medellin is a absolutely gorgeous metropolis, but it's dangerous areas --such as Bello --are EXTREMELY dangerous. Safe, attractive areas in which tos earch for hotels are El Poblado and Laureles, for example. You can minimize your risk and generally have an altogether more enjoyable experience by staying here.

I recommend:
Hotel Novelty Suites -- In El Poblado --a beautiful, upscale residential and business area that is safe, and has plenty of restaurants, bars, malls, etc. within walking distance. Beautiful, modern SUITES with balcony offering panoramic views, free buffet breakfast, etc., for about $50-$60/night.

Hotel Plaza Rosa --Not as modern or chic as Novelty Suites, but in same great neighborhood. Similar price.

Hotel Casa Laureles -- In an upper-middle class residential neighborhood. Not as many ammenities or as convenienta s the other two, but still a very nice place. Similar price.


You can go cheaper, but you begin to risk your safety and increase your discomfort.

PLEASE AVOID BELLO. PLEASE, FOR YOUR OWN GOOD --I AM NOT JOKING. I lived in Medellin for many, many years, and even I would not set foot there!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dwmte says on May 3, 2005, 14:16:

hotel near bello.... well the name is an oxymoron...bello, it isn't and the hill side (east side) is known as the universitario de los sicarios...that should give you a clue as to it's hospitability. i have been all over bello and i guarantee you that it is not a pleasant place.

if you're not staying with a family there, STAY OUT. you can go around in areas next to the autopista, but venturing 'inland' is at your own risk.

i wrote at length before about this place, as i know it surprisingly well for a foreigner. one of my ebanistas lived in western bello and i was invited to the home of a family of sicarios before i even knew what they were. (real rare, strange, and after the fact, freightning esperience)

if i were in your shoes and wanted to be with my daughter and her mom and money was a defininte issue, i'd lodge the three of you somewhere around the university of antioquia. or, up santa helena . but i don't like it there either. farther north in barbosa, it's a bit safer but it can be wild also, and there arn't any 'real' hotels there. the closest is around the univ. near the macarena or in laureles (try hotel lucas on san juan and 70) you just aren't gonna find a hotel/hostel in bello...ain't happening. and the farther south you go towards medellin, the more costly it becomes. too, the farther you are from bello. like i said, the best is to bag up mom and your daughter and get outta dodge and go someplace where you can get a cheaper lodging (maybe downtown) with all of you together.

what you need to do, is go to bello and see the place, then, what the poster above and me (twice) have said will ring some bells. there's no romantic digs in those parts.

i think peter used to live in st. helena and possibly knows a haunt in those parts. never was my hang out in many many years so i couldn't suggest a hotel there. when you're on the st. helena road, leaving medellin, up on the hill to the north, is the eastern hillside of bello...donde viven los sicarios.. you might p.m peter and see what he says.

good luck friend. cover your ass and your head if you decide to stay up there in other than your 'family's' house.

dw

0 funny, 0 helpful.

eafit2005 says on May 3, 2005, 21:15:

Bello... Bello is not as horrible as the two previous posts imply, but I still wouldn't stay in a hotel there. I've been to Bello several times to go out in the night partying when I got sick of going to the Parque Lleras & staying in Poblado. Actually the area around the "parque de bello" is pretty nice, crowded with many bars & clubs to go out. Still, it really isn't the safest place and even though never anything happened to me, there are better places to go. Envigado for example is really nice to go out, because you have a traditional colombian atmosphere and it is safe & nicer than Bello. If you visit your daughter in Bello, make sure you know some more about which part of Bello you go to. Some parts in Bello are ok to go, others are really dangerous. If you need specifics on the location, send me an e-mail to chris_st81 at hotmail.com and the direction of the place. I could ask some friends of mine who live in Bello & who know better than me. Take Care! chris

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dwmte says on May 4, 2005, 06:18:

yo eafit.... nice bars in bello, eh? ha. to use bello and poblado in the same sentence is all but sacriledge...don't you think.

unless bello has been 'refurbished' (starting with one hellofa bath) in the last couple of years, it's exactly as it was a couple of years ago when i had the + or - fortune to be there again i was living up in barbosa at the time.

i respect anyone with balls big enough to go 'where no man has gone before'... for that reason, i'm gonna share one of my favorite funky bars with you...it's called acalare, it's downtown by the metro tracks on the lower side of nutibara. (acalare: reunion de brujos)

try it out, you just might give up poblado if you think bello is a fair challenge.

peace,

douglas

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 4, 2005, 08:35:

Thanks I could not find where I had originally wrote the ?

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 4, 2005, 08:48:

I cannot agree I am )origianlly) from Long Island, South shore Nassau County, NY and I found Bello nice. I was in Santa Ana and I walk from Santa to Paque de Bello a couple of times and found nothing that bad.

My fiancee is from Bello Niquia and she is wonderful and I do not think the area is all bad as you and other might lead "tourists" to believe.

I will not not be going as a tourist and I want to be as close to my fiancees family as possible.

Thanks for the bitter words of Bello. I guess I wil finds a hostel in a hostel environment.

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

utopiacowboy says on May 4, 2005, 09:03:

Tourists?!!!!??? WTF???????? My wife lived in Medellin for 25 years so I think she knows what she is talking about. Some parts of Bello are acceptable but other parts are downright dangerous. If you don't want any advice, don't ask for any.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

lpdiver says on May 4, 2005, 09:14:

I like Cabo Vela. It runs about 30 dollars per night.

T

"cook some rice!"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 4, 2005, 09:15:

I not looking to SMUT I am looking to stay with my daughter's mother not for another Cat!

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

jelsaad says on May 4, 2005, 09:18:

Cousin: You came here looking for advice, and we've given it to you: Bello is an EXTREMELY dangerous area. We know, we've live din Medellin for many years. I am soory if you're offended by this --you shouldn't be, we're simply trying to prevent any harm from coming your way. In Bello, it is LITERALLY just a matter of time before you will be hurt. BE RATIONAL. THINK CLEARLY. It is not worth your life and well being --ask any native of Medellin which neighborhoods are the most dangerous, and they will ALL WITHOUT FAIL mention BEllO in the top three. If you don't believe me, ask THE POLICE!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 4, 2005, 09:21:

??????????? Who is your wife and what was her advise. I am looking to be with my future wife who lives in Santa Ana or her parents who live in Bello Niquia.

I returned from Santa Ana on the 26 of April and I know it is a rough place but not much rougher than pre-Guliiani NYC.

I am not looking for negativity just a livable hotel for myself for a week, week and a half.

Thanks and thank your wife (whom ever she is).

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 4, 2005, 09:28:

I can see your point thank you I can see your point, thank you, because the family got mad at me when I took a cab from Santa Ana to Parque de Bello to get dinner one night.

They also thought I was crazy when I walked from Santa Ana to Parque de Bello to go grocery shopping and to get Pesos from the bank.

I appriciate the advice but I am going to be a tourist but to try and save my future and family. I do not want to be too far away from Santa Ana. My priority is to get back with this lady or die trying not to spend as much time in a taxi as possible.

I do appriciate your advise and thank you very much for it but you need to appriciate where I am coming from so you will know what I am looking for.

You can really help by going to Cll 40a 59, in Santa Ana and convincing her to come back to Saint Thomas with me so I do not have to fly there in July.

Thanks again

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

sandramoreno80 says on May 4, 2005, 09:30:

I have always stressed this in my posts, if you have contacts in Colombia, then use them. Your soon to be wife will have to know Santa Ana and her parents have to know Bello-Niquia pretty well.

Ask them to arrange everything, they can ask around or even look it up in the paginas verdes of the phone book. Just dont let them spread the word that you are coming to all and sundry. This isn't because you're gringo, it applies to anyone who's come from abroad. My family never let on that we're coming for a visit, you just never know, right?

And if there aren't any decent ones in that area, then further into town there must be some, look for some near the metro line so you come easily pop back into Niquia.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 4, 2005, 09:31:

Thanks, do you know tha address and phone number?

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 4, 2005, 09:34:

She does not know I am visiting. She is going through difficult times in our relationship and I am going to try to bid my chance of keeping us together. I just got back and stayed with her but this time it is different!

Thanks

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 4, 2005, 09:41:

Thanks Do you have the address and phone number?

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dwmte says on May 4, 2005, 12:04:

cousin...hang in there, and accept, please my apology, as i didn't understand the underlying issues when i was trying to distract you. sorry.

now, it's a differeent issue. lpdiver gave the name of some place above. p.m. him straight away and find out what he knows. to be honest, i never looked for a boarding place in or about bello, so i'll henceforth keep my feelings about the area to myself.

now, understanding that you are in one of THOSE fixes, since i've been up over my ears in one of those, in colombia, separated from my paisa wife and child, nothing could detract me. when i went to live alone in the mountains, everybody said i was throwing my ass to the lions.......did i care? i was on a mission. i was gonna get my family back together or die in the process. anything less was not even an option. so, brother, been there, done that. and i wish you all the help in the world.

you're just gonna have to do what i did and that's chain your balls to your head and know that you have no part of anything going on around you, you're on another mission...keep focused and get your family back together and don't listen to any negativity that detracts from that goal. just follow you heart and use common sence and your faith to protect and guide you.

you are free to e me at anytime dwmte at bellsouth.net and if there's any way i can help. i'll be glad.

i have a very close english speaking friend (he's a chemist/professor from lithuania and lived his whole life in colombia) he lives in barbosa and his name is jonas klemas. if you find yourself between a rock and a hard spot, call him. tell him douglas martin suggested you call him for advise in a pinch. (tel: 407-0668 finca barbosa)

i had to live alone in the mountains for over two years before i got us back together and it was chock full of being unsure of success for the whole length of the process. i wish you stamina and good luck. like i said friend, been there, done that, and i can remember two plus years of lonely nights and never feeling sure after all i had gone through to pull it off, that i was going to be successful. maybe GOD felt sorry for me and finally pitched the dice my way. here we are, back together and growing older. what ever, we're once again a family and that's good. thanks to GOD.

douglas

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 5, 2005, 08:05:

Thanks for understanding. Two years of lonely nights are nothing conpared to the 15 years of lonely life I had since meeting Katha.

I will go on without her if I have to but I do not want to. Life sucked (not in a good way) before I met her and I do not want to go back to that life.

I did nothing to lose her but when she returned to COlombia her life changed and now she is not sure of us. I wish I could know what she is thinking but she will not share.

I must go forward on this quest. I have street savy not to put myself into and inferno but if I must lose my life in an attempt to get her back so be it. Life will not be of quality without her so death will be a better option anyway.

Thanks for finally seeing why I will jump into the fire of Bello rather than be safe in Medellin. Any advice as to where to stay (and how to keep safe) IN BELLO I will heed. If you figure out a (somewhat) safe hotel in or very near Bello please contact me.

Thanks
USAPRIMO at yahoo.com

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dwmte says on May 5, 2005, 10:12:

go ahead on, friend... i totally understand.

when my wife and daughter returned to colombia from california where we were living, and where our lifes appeared to self destruct; i finally just chose to move down there, and if we couldn't be together, i'd be down at the end of the street, so laura had both her parents, not just one. and if nothing ever 'worked out', at bones minimum, my daughter will know that she was important enough to make her daddy move half way around the world for her to have both her parents. that would have been sufficient...getting back together, albiet oft times intense, is worth the pain any day of the week, and is like iceing on the cake...

you're gonna do just fine. might have to throw in the towel to a neutral position, but like us...however it is, we're together.

peace guy, if i have any info to shoot you, pm me with an e mail and it will be a lot faster. i'll try and ask jonas what he knows, but i'll have to chase him down a bit first.

just keep on truckin dude, you'll be home free!!!

peace,

douglas

all the best for now,

douglas

0 funny, 0 helpful.

lpdiver says on May 5, 2005, 10:14:

Or as the old frenchman said... Don't worry, nothing will be all right.


T

"cook some rice!"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 5, 2005, 11:33:

From your mouth From you mouth to GOD's "ear" may he be listening!

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

utopiacowboy says on May 5, 2005, 20:51:

Why anyone would want a complicated relationship with a Colombiana is beyond me. There are plenty with whom you can have a simple tranquil life full of love and devotion. If you want drama try a gringa.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dwmte says on May 6, 2005, 04:03:

cowboy... in response to your post, en re my own experience and the craziness that went down, i can only say in the words from the great persian love story, "...in order for you to see the beauty of laila, you'ld have to borrow majnun's eyes." (laila and majnun...a classic persian love story)

the whole damn world, parents and other children thought i was absolutely mad, bent on more heartache, but there was nothing that would turn me back--other than death--from re-uniting my family. on this ground, i understand mike's (cousin) situation. once the children blossom from a relationship, it's just not each for him/herself. you know that.

dw

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 6, 2005, 04:28:

utopiacowboy you ask WHY? WHy would anyone want a complicated relationship or a dumb ass question?????

Why would anyone want to fall in love is beyond me. I do not want a complicated relationship nor am I looking for a relationship with a Colombian for that matter. I want to live the rest of my days with Cathalina Paniagua.

The relationship with the Colombian part of your question is what confuses me. Why do you even put where she was born into the equation? It is her NOT where she is from. NOT her religion, her tits, ass, or anything else for that matter. IT IS CATHALINA!

For me it is not the facet that she is Colombian, for me it is that she is Cathalina! I would love to have a simple relationship with her but that is not the case at this moment.

I will work on this relationship until it is not complicated or it is dead.

Thanks, there is always someone who will prove that there are STUPID questions.

Please do not take too much offense in my words it is me who is stupid to be in this relationship but that is a stupid question. A better question is "Why do fools fall in LOVE".

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 6, 2005, 07:19:

Jalsaad,

Can you give me an idea of how clse these hotels might be to Santa Ana and Bello Niquia.

Thanks

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

utopiacowboy says on May 6, 2005, 21:50:

So I guess it's "Why ask why?". Hey, each to his own.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 7, 2005, 07:51:

Cowbay With a disclaimer such as yours are you saying, see my name and do not both read I am just exercising my first amendment rights.

Next time try the fifth [amendment]!

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

utopiacowboy says on May 7, 2005, 08:21:

Anyone taking this site seriously is in for some rough sledding. It's entertainment. I don't read everyone else's idiotic posts and I don't expect everyone to read my idiotic posts. Hence the disclaimer.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 7, 2005, 08:47:

If your opinion is a joke that is what you are. IS that your opinion of Colombia and the US? If you want a joke site rub below your belt!

When you put yourself into someone elses life you need to know when to joke and when to but out.

WHat sore point do you have to be exploited. Send me your phone number and I will do my best to exploit them!

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

platano says on May 7, 2005, 08:47:

UTC, thank you for your vote of confidence, It is reassuring to know you don't read every idiotic post, yet you often read my idiotic posts. I thank you for reading. (I try for entertainment and sometimes get carried away and break the rules.)

As for this subject of hotels near Bello I think the answer has been given in different ways here.

I have been to Bello many times years ago (didn't seem so dangerous then). I can't say anything about current conditions. It sounds like if you go to Bello you are letting Cathalina know you are willing to die for her.

Plátano

plátano

0 funny, 0 helpful.

jelsaad says on May 7, 2005, 09:15:

COUSIN: The hotels in the El Poblado area are about a 15-min cab ride from Bello. 25 mins during rush hour/peak traffic. Laureles-area hotels are 10 mins. from Bello. In my opinion, this is a relatively short distance and well worth the safety, well-being and general comfort. A bus will cost you about 40-50 cents each way, and a cab about $2.I think it's quite doable, and much closer/easier than you might think. I am honestly afraid of what can happen to you in Bello -- and the odds that something WILL happen to you there are very great. Why risk it? If you love your child and the mother so much, why put yourself in danger's way intentionally? Staying 10-15 minutes away --in a safe area--may be the best thing you could do for them --it may keep your child's daddy alive, for example :)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

utopiacowboy says on May 7, 2005, 09:56:

I had to laugh at your last retort. Reminds me of something you sometimes see written on bathroom walls above the urinals: "What are you looking up here for? The joke's in your hand!" BTW, putting your private life on the internet is like putting a "Smack me" sign on yourself. Cuidate en Bello.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 7, 2005, 10:10:

Plátano I am! Pass it on to her if you can!

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 7, 2005, 10:19:

Thanks for the advise Jelsaad,

I like the idea of a hotel only ten minutes away that is short distance to ride. I was trying to avoid the hour rides.

The problem, I am stupid in love at this point and my well being is not my concern, getting the relationship back to where it was, is.

I was in Bello and not worried. If kidnapped there is no one to pay a randsom. No family in the world except for Cathalina. She will not have the plata to pay.

Death be not proud but I am proud to be with Cathalina. I will be careful as I was when I visited NYC before Guilliani cleaned it up.

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

utopiacowboy says on May 7, 2005, 14:59:

Ah, NYC before Guilliani cleaned it up. Those were the days - garbage all over the place. Sometimes you couldn't even walk down the sidewalk. Burning and burnt cars in the breakdown lane of the expressways and every one driving by like it's normal. The subway cars covered in grafitti. Times Square full of the raunchiest stuff you've ever seen. Some one went to NYC the other day and they didn't see any of the things we used to see in the late 70s and early 80s. Very disappointing.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

daver says on May 7, 2005, 17:27:

About Cowboys Bello Comments I thought I would butt in hear and just share something.

U-Cowboy, like myself, married a Paisa from El Poblado. My wife, like UCs wife, will tell you that Bello is dangerous, horrible, that you shouldn´t go there, that you are risking your life. I am willing to bet, that UCs wife, like mine, has never set foot in the poorer areas of Bello in her entire life. Neither has UC, and neither have I.

I, like Cowboy, have taken my wife´s advice, and I don´t venture into the poor neighbourhoods. I think my wife´s advice is valid. But, others, like Colombians who didn´t grow up in El Poblado, don´t have such a problem with going into places like Bello. So, too each their own.

But, just because my wife has never set foot in poorer areas of Bello, does not mean her opinion is not valid.

My wife´s father loves to hang glide (or is it hand glide)... whatever. Some years ago, a friend of his was hand or hang gliding from a perch in the north of Medellin, and he, by accident, landed in a poor area of Bello. Was it safe?... well, they took his equipment, stripped his cloths off, and beat and kicked him to death. No joke. He was in Bello for about 10 minutes... he ended up naked on the street with his head kicked in (literally).

I, like UC, like our wives, will not go to Bello. If you feel like you want to, then go... different people will have different opions about a place like this. I have mine.

Dave

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cousin says on May 8, 2005, 10:22:

Bello Been there, done that. For this one person I will risk it.

What is life without pursuing real love...... NOT WORTH LIVING!

Los Cuatro

0 funny, 0 helpful.

spigrimace says on May 8, 2005, 19:51:

Must be something about south shore Nassau County.. Cuz,

I was born and raised in Massapequa. I guess us South Shore types just have balls or maybe no brains or a little of both. I´ve also been to Bello and Parque Bello. I dated a girl from there who lived a few blocks from the church square. I have heard it´s dangerous even from people from Bello so I do watch over my shoulder when over there but nothing remotely bad ever happened.

As far as being where no gringo has never been before, go in a group and try a club in Alta Vista-upper part or Belen-Zafra, wayyy up the hill. That was some scary stuff and I wouldnt be going there every weekend. But I lived to tell about it.

How about some of the clubs on Colombia. They seem like they should be pretty dicey but I never had anything bad happen and the people all seemed normal.

After reading some posts, I think to some people, trekking out of lleras over to Trilogia is considered a life threatening experience.

I go all the time for the 5am late night close, but Clarita just seems like it must have malucos all over the place in there. But at least it´s real close to the Punto Cero.

0 funny, 0 helpful.