If you’re searching for where to stay in Medellín, Colombia, you’re in the right place.
I visited Medellín two different times on my month-long trip to Colombia.
I’ll tell you right now, for first timers, the best neighbourhood to stay in Medellín is the El Poblado neighbourhood.
It’s safe, it’s central enough (and Ubering around is cheap anyways) and it’s truly one of the prettiest neighbourhoods I’ve spent time in.
I stayed there for my full trip, at a hostel called Los Patios, and it ended up being one of the best hostels I’ve ever stayed at.
I’m going to walk through:
- why El Poblado is the right call for most first-time visitors
- why Comuna 13 and downtown are worth visiting but not worth basing yourself in
- then get specific about Los Patios
- and provide a few researched alternatives depending on your budget and whether a hostel is even your thing.
Fast Answer – Where to Stay in Medellin
Here’s a fast breakdown of the best neighbourhoods in Medellín, Colombia, so you can figure out where to stay in under a minute.
- Best area to stay in Medellín: El Poblado. Safe, beautiful, walkable, close to good food, and the neighbourhood most of Medellín’s accommodation options are actually in.
- Best for nightlife: El Poblado, especially near Parque Lleras, if you want to be within walking distance of bars and clubs.
- Best firsthand pick: Los Patios, a hostel in El Poblado. This is the only place in this guide I actually stayed at myself.
- Visit, don’t stay: Comuna 13. Amazing to spend an afternoon and evening in, but it’s not set up as a place to base a trip.
- Consider if you want a more local, modern feel: Downtown/Centro, with the caveat that it’s less charming to actually live in for a few days than El Poblado.
Vibe Matters More Than Price When Picking a Place to Stay
Most of the time, where you stay comes down to budget or how close you can get to the thing you actually want to do. Medellín isn’t really like that.
Uber is ridiculously cheap here, and the metro is easy and scenic on top of that. So proximity to any one attraction barely matters.
What actually matters is which of Medellín’s neighbourhoods fits your personality. That’s the real decision, and it’s the one this guide is built around.
If you pull up a Medellín neighbourhoods map, you’ll see El Poblado, Laureles, Envigado, and downtown Centro all sitting within a short metro or Uber ride of each other.
That’s part of why proximity matters less here than which area’s vibe you actually want to live inside for a few days.
El Poblado: The Neighbourhood to Base Yourself In
El Poblado is where I stayed for my entire 3 days in Medellin. It’s consistently one of the best areas to stay in Medellín for first-timers.
It really lives up to Medellín’s nickname, the “City of Eternal Spring.”
Big trees, vines, plants pushing up through the sidewalk cracks, streets shaded dark by tree canopy in places. It actually feels like a jungle growing up through a modern city.
El Poblado is also calm and beautiful to walk around. I felt safe there, including walking alone to get to dinner, which matters to me as a solo female traveller.
El Poblado has a ton of good restaurants and trendy boutiques, and I ate almost entirely within walking distance of my hostel the whole trip. I only Ubered elsewhere in the city a handful of times, for specific tours or activities.
One honest tradeoff worth knowing about: El Poblado’s streets can get loud with music at night, especially near Parque Lleras, the neighbourhood’s main nightlife strip.
It also makes El Poblado the best option when wondering where to stay in Medellín for nightlife.
If you’re a light sleeper, bring earplugs or headphones no matter where in the neighbourhood you end up staying.
The Best Hostel in El Poblado – Good for Budget and Activities
1. Los Patios – My First Pick
⏳ AMENITIES: rooftop pool, rooftop bars with salsa classes, daily walking tours, fruit-tasting experience, cooking classes, strong wifi and good workspaces
Location: El Poblado, two connected buildings on the same corner, about a two-minute walk apart, with guest access to both.
Looking at where to stay in El Poblado, Los Patios is my top pick.
I chose Los Patios when planning my Medellin trip because I needed something that worked for me as a solo, remote-working traveller: reliable Wi-Fi and lots of different common spaces. But I was so pleased with the amount of activities there were at the hostel.
Each building has its own rooftop. One has a large rooftop pool, and both have rooftop bars. The activities are the best part. They run salsa and bachata classes most evenings on the roof, party buses on many nights, daily walking tours, a fruit-tasting experience, cooking classes, and language exchanges.
I worked from the front cafe in the building and the rooftop, which was empty during the day. I found the balance between social spaces (the rooftop, the common areas, all the organized activities) to be really good.
The rooftop pool afternoon I spent up there was one of my favourite activities in Medellín. I read my book, swam, and looked out at the orange-toned skyscrapers tiered through the mountains.
Pros:
- Rooftop pool and rooftop bars, one with salsa classes
- Tons of built-in activities: walking tours, fruit tasting, cooking classes, language exchanges
- Reliable wifi and a real workspace for remote work
- Private rooms available if a dorm isn’t your thing
Cons:
- El Poblado gets loud at night, so bring earplugs if you’re staying somewhere in the area and need a quiet sleep
- Hostels aren’t for everyone
👉 Check out current rates at Los Patios Hostel
Hotel Options in El Poblado
2. Haven, A Design Hotel
⏳ AMENITIES: rooftop pool and bar, breakfast buffet included on the rooftop every morning
Location: El Poblado.
Haven has a stunning rooftop pool and bar. They have a big breakfast buffet included on the rooftop every morning too.
The rooms are really comfortable and well-designed. Some have private jacuzzis with balconies overlooking the city. Most of the rooms have balconies or terraces.
They have an airport shuttle and the restaurant on-site gets amazing reviews so you’ll be eating well.
Pros:
- Rooftop pool and bar
- Breakfast buffet included
- Balcony/Terrace in most rooms
- Airport shuttles available
Cons:
- The location is in El Poblado, although not on one of the prettier streets
👉 Check out current rates at Haven Hotel Medellin
3. Hotel Selis
⏳ AMENITIES: rooftop jacuzzis and sunbeds with city views, breakfast included
Location: El Poblado.
This hotel is stunning! The design makes it feel like a luxury hotel but for regular prices.
They have jacuzzis and sunbeds on the rooftop with great views over the city. And the service is incredibly thoughtful. There are so many good reviews from people who’ve stayed there.
Pros:
- Rooftop Jacuzzis and tanning beds with insane views
- The design of the hotel is super unique
- They have breakfast included and a bar on site
- Close to the key night life spots
Cons:
- No full restaurant on site
- No full pool, only Jacuzzis
👉 Check out current rates at Hotel Selis
The Best Luxury Hotel in El Poblado
4. The Charlee
⏳ AMENITIES: huge rooftop pool with 360-degree views, vibey rooftop bar, some rooms with in-room jacuzzis, laundry service, incredible service from the staff
Location: El Poblado.
The Charlee hotel l is on the luxury side and another one that looks so insanely unique. First, the rooms are beautiful with big windows overlooking the skyline. Some even have big jacuzzis inside them and fancy grills for bbqing on the terrace.
They have a fancy Italian restaurant on-site and a really delicious hotel breakfast included. It’s right across the street from Lleras Park, so perfectly situated to enjoy the nightlife vibes.
And then their rooftop is one of the best: a huge rooftop pool with 360 views and a vibey bar.
Pros:
- Huge rooftop pool with 360-degree views
- Some rooms have in-room jacuzzis and skyline views
- Vibey rooftop bar
- Super close to the best nightlife
- One of the best luxury hotels in Medellin
Cons:
- I honestly can’t find any???
👉 Check out current rates at the Charlee Hotel
Comuna 13: Visit, Don’t Stay
Touring Comuna 13 was actually my single favorite thing I did in Medellín. I did an afternoon tour there and loved it enough to stay after and shop on my own.
But I wouldn’t base a trip there, and I don’t think most travellers should either.
It’s one of the areas of Medellín every visitor should experience. It’s just not one of the best areas to stay in Medellín.
There aren’t many hotel options there anyways, but some people book Airbnbs to stay in the neighbourhood.
If you’re weighing an Airbnb there anyway, know that short-term rentals in Medellín are supposed to be registered with the national tourism registry, and the city has been cracking down on ones that aren’t.
Do the tour. Don’t sleep there.
Downtown/Centro: A Modern, Local Alternative That Trades Away Some Charm
Downtown gives you a more modern, urban feel. There are pedestrian streets, skyscrapers, a busier, closer-to-local-life energy.
If you want to feel like you’re in the working heart of the city rather than a leafy, trendy pocket of it, this is the direction to look.
It is noticeably less pretty to actually base yourself compared with El Poblado.
It’s worth a visit, ideally with a walking tour, but I wouldn’t pick it as my home base over El Poblado’s greenery and calmer streets.
If you are curious about staying near downtown, then I’d recommend the nearby Laureles neighbourhood. It’s considered the second best neighbourhood to stay in Medellin, next to El Poblado.
Staying in Laureles Medellin
Laureles often gets compared to El Poblado as one of the top options to stay in Medellin. It is located closer to the downtown centre.
Similar to El Poblado, Laureles has leafy, tree-lined streets. It is much more of a residential area than El Poblado so the streets are actually quieter. It is also a bit cheaper than El Poblado too.
The streets of El Poblado are really hilly, whereas Laureles is very flat. If that’s a factor for you.
If quiet streets and a more relaxing vibe are what you’re after, this is a fantastic option.
The Best Hotels in Laureles, Medellin
5. Urbit Social Lofts
⏳ AMENITIES: entire apartment layouts available with kitchens, bag storage, buffet breakfast, airport shuttle available, rooftop views
Location: Laureles
The Urbit Social Lofts are incredibly modern, well decorated, and in a great location in Laureles. Many of the apartments have great views and best of all, there’s a big rooftop with incredible views over Medellin. They serve the breakfast buffet up there.
There are tons of bakeries, shops, and delicious restaurants close by. The staff are meant to be very welcoming and helpful too.
If your room doesn’t have a kitchenette, they have a dining area with a full kitchen you can use.
Pros:
- Rooftop with great views over Medellin
- Super modern design
- Full kitchen in a dining area for cooking your own meals
- Quiet and beautiful location
Cons:
- Shared kitchens aren’t for everybody
- No restaurant actually on-site, although many very close by
👉 Check out current rates at the Urbit Social Lofts
6. Los Patios Cool Living
⏳ AMENITIES: Rooftop pool and terrace, gastropub on the roof, planned tours and activities, tons of common spaces for working, rooms with jacuzzis, steam room
Location: Laureles
Remember my #1 recommendation above? The Los Patios hostels in El Poblado. Well they have a hotel location in Laureles (not a hostel).
The main event here is the rooftop pool. It’s high up on the 10th floor roof with views over the city. There’s also a gastropub up there too for dining.
You can join a number of activities like: bike rentals and tours, cooking classes, walking tours, happy hour, movie nights, bar crawls, karaoke and more.
Their breakfast is also supposed to be really good. And they have a steam room!
Pros:
- Rooftop pool and sun terrace
- 2 restaurants on-site
- Steam rooms
- Sooo many planned activities – pool tables, pub crawls, cooking classes, etc.
Cons:
- Some of the rooms are pretty small
👉 Check out current rates at Los Patios Cool Living
Hostel vs. Hotel, and How Much Location Really Matters
If you’re deciding between a social hostel like Los Patios and a private hotel, the real question is what you want your trip to feel like.
A hostel like Los Patios gets you built-in social activities, a workspace, and a rooftop scene.
A hotel gets you more privacy and quiet, at the cost of having to plan your own evenings. Which is not too difficult anyways. You can just book tours and get to the meeting points by Uber.
Whichever you pick, I wouldn’t spend much energy trying to optimize for proximity to any specific attraction. Between Uber and the metro, getting around Medellín is easy and cheap enough that where you stay barely affects how long it takes to reach anything on your list.
Pick the neighbourhood whose vibe you actually want to live inside for a few days.
Next Step to Planning Your Medellin Trip:
Now that you have a place to stay, the next step is to get acquainted with how to get around the city. It’s super easy, mostly Ubers and the occasional metro ride. I cover everything in this guide to getting around Medellin.
And if you haven’t narrowed down exactly what you want to do in Medellin, definitely check out this guide to the top things to do around the city!
Happy adventuring.
Read More About Travel in Medellin, Colombia
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