Hotel Colonial Salta

Hotel Colonial Salta aims to give travellers a taste of the city's historic character at a reasonable price. Its name hints at its style, with traditional touches and a central address that puts the main plaza, the cathedral and the best-known restaurants within easy reach on foot. For many travellers, this is exactly the right balance: you want to be close to the action, you want clean, comfortable rooms and a decent breakfast, and you would rather spend the budget on excursions to Cafayate, Humahuaca and the Calchaqui Valleys than on luxury extras. Rooms are typically straightforward and practical, suited to short stays between long days out, and the staff are accustomed to guests who need help with tours, taxis and restaurant reservations. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly rather than formal, which suits the easygoing pace of Salta.

Staying in the historic centre brings pleasures that no suburban hotel can match. In the evening you can stroll to a peña for live folk music, enjoy a plaza cafe and walk back through quiet streets lit by old lamps. Mornings start with the sound of church bells and the smell of fresh bread, and you are only a few minutes from the high-altitude archaeology museum and the artisans' market.

Because many sights close for a long midday break, being close to the hotel makes it easy to rest during the hottest hours and go out again when the city revives in late afternoon.

Practical advice is simple. Ask for a quiet room if you are a light sleeper, because central streets can have evening noise on weekends, and check whether the room has heating or air conditioning for your season. Confirm breakfast hours if you have an early tour, and ask the reception to arrange transport to the airport or bus station in advance.

Luggage storage is useful on days when you check out before a late flight. Choose this type of hotel when value and location matter more than facilities, and remember that rates can rise during Easter, July holidays and the September festival. For many independent travellers it is a friendly, sensible home in the old centre.

Travellers on a careful budget can also use the hotel as a launch point for low-cost activities. Many of the best things in Salta are free or inexpensive, from the plaza and the cathedral to the artisans' market, the viewpoint walk up Cerro San Bernardo and evenings spent listening to street musicians. A friendly local hotel is a good source of advice on all of these, and its staff can often suggest where to find the best value lunch menus.