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Just downslope from the Cerro Santa Lucía, which is home to the 190-year-old Castillo Hidalgo, stands Santiago, Chile‘s newest luxury hotel: the Hotel Magnolia. The hotel, which had its soft opening earlier this year, will officially open to the public this October. Billed as an “urban design” hotel, it seamlessly blends Chile’s traditional Spanish-influenced architecture with a cool, laid-back modern aesthetic that is unique in the Santiago neighborhood of El Centro.
A striking marble floor and entryway greet you as you walk in off of Calle Huérfanos, ushering you into a warm, dimly lit lobby filled with geometric textiles, leather and cool, dark metal. The rooms follow the same aesthetic, with a clean, modern design speckled with touches of the structure’s heritage. The building was originally constructed in 1929, and was the mansion home of the wealthy Zegers family.
Doña Ana Zegers García Huidobro, the daughter of a Chilean politician, commissioned her nephew to build the home. In a story that comes full circle, architect Cazú Zegers, a descendent of García Huidobro, was chosen to design the new hotel. Zegers, who is most famous for designing the Tierra Patagonia Hotel, teamed up with interior decorator Carolina Delpiano to create a hotel that not only preserved the building’s original heritage, but also represented the future of Chilean architecture and design. Zegers and Delpiano kept intricate details like arched stained-glass windows and a marble spiral staircase as a nod to the building’s storied past.
When the hotel officially opens to the public, it will also feature a full restaurant and rooftop bar. The restaurant, Magnolia, will be helmed by famed Chilean chef Claudio Zuñiga. The menu, which will focus on Chilean ingredients, will include dishes such as Patagonian lamb in Carménère wine sauce and king-crab-stuffed salmon, as well as unique takes on the traditional pisco sour. Rooms at the Hotel Magnolia start at $220 per night and include a buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant.