Potosi Homestays

Potosí is Bolivia’s crown jewel, the city that perhaps best encapsulates the textured and often oppressive history of this country. And Hostal Colonial is one of the lesser diadems in that crown, located within 20 meters of the central square and thus as close to the historical sights as the visitor can get. The Colonial is indeed in a sprawling seigneurial residence of the colonial era, and rooms largely face on one or the other of the two interior patios. (My room was apparently an exception, facing out onto the street and angled down to provide a view into the main square.) The breakfast room faces onto the second of the interior patios, both of which feature agreeable fountains. The staff at the front desk, at whatever hour, is friendly and helpful. They spared me a fruitless walk to the purported site in Potosí of Bolivia’s postal system, warning me it had closed; and the desk clerk followed up by calling around for guidance as to whether there was any post office left anywhere in the city, for which it seems there is little demand. (Turns out the Correos de Bolivia has been reduced in Potosí to a single postal agent sitting at a desk in an office for private delivery companies, four blocks tediously uphill from the Hostal Colonial — but the cards I left with that agent were indeed delivered to the United States within 2 weeks, far faster than I would have expected.) As for the hotel guest’s quality of life, the bed was comfortable, the shower was separated from the bathroom’s other necessary facilities by a shower door, and the WiFi signal was strong and unwavering. The Colonial provides a solid, good-value stay in the heart of Potosí, and I would recommend it.