The Singular Santiago, Lastarria Hotel

The Singular planted its Santiago flag in exactly the right place: Lastarria, the compact quarter of bookshops, galleries, cafés and Belle Époque facades between Cerro Santa Lucía and the Bellas Artes museum, where the capital is at its most walkable and European in mood. The hotel, sibling to the celebrated Singular Patagonia, was built new but styled with conviction—brass, dark timber, leather and curated Chilean artwork—so that it reads as a heritage grande dame at boutique scale.

Rooms are hushed and classically elegant, with herringbone floors, marble bathrooms and windows over the quarter's rooftops or the wooded slopes of Santa Lucía. Service runs formal but warm, with a concierge team notably strong on the city's food, wine and day-trip circuitry—Valparaíso, the Casablanca and Maipo valleys, and Andes lookouts are all within reach.

The restaurant takes Chilean produce seriously, from southern king crab to Patagonian lamb, in a room of green leather and dark wood, and the rooftop bar is among Santiago's finest perches, with the Andes floating above the skyline at dusk on clear days. A small subterranean spa with pool completes the package. For travellers wanting Santiago with character rather than tower-hotel anonymity, The Singular is the definitive choice.