Urban-Social I had the opportunity to live the hospitality at the HAB Hotel (its name is inspired by three concepts: Hotel, Host, Bogotá), and I got different sensations; here are some of them:
Chapinero is the beginning.
More than space to stay, HAB is an unconventional proposal located in one of the most important urban epicenters of Bogotá: Chapinero locality. This iconic place (whose main connector is Carrera Septima) converges the city's hectic pace and the metropolis´'s peaceful natural environment thanks to its proximity to the Eastern Hills.
HAB's location (Carrera 5 Nº 58-07) certainly is the first sign of something different about this place. You will notice in just two blocks, in high contrast, how the city has something unique to say and an incomparable space to show.
Photo by: Iván Ortiz
Photo by: Gabriela Munera.
Traditional and avant-garde
Its entrance is unconventional, as it doesn't resort to revolving stained-glass windows or the usual eccentricity of other lodgings; on the contrary, the lobby has a beautiful indigo-colored door that emulates the Bogotá houses of yesteryear (possibly inspired by English and Spanish architecture). The HAB experience is more than just an excellent choice; you will have the privilege of staying in an area where the blend of the everyday and the modern come together in a perfect way.
The hotel has 58 rooms distributed in 3 houses (House A, House B and House C). Each house offers different sensations and provides each guest with a singular comfort. Although the houses ―acquired some years ago― were remodeled, and their style and concept are different, they are interconnected like a labyrinth, so the sensation of integrality is total.
From the Abbey and the British to Chapinero
Each house in HAB has a story; for example, House A is marked by a syncretic and religious past since a convent operated there some years ago, giving it its name (the letter A refers to Abbey).
This is the only 4-story house (three floors with bedrooms, one gym and a meeting room). A boutique place, with delicate wood finishes and atonal colors provides unique privacy sensations. An important detail, in this house, there are several works by Mariana Vieira, a Colombian designer who rescues the tradition of craftsmanship, manual labor and the richness of Colombian culture.
Photo by: Iván Ortiz
On the other hand, Casa B refers to the British style (hence the B), set with distinctive elements of Anglo-Saxon culture: delicate carpets, vibrant and subdued tones on the walls, stylized railings, and lamps with a striking design by British designer Tom Dyxon. Two details of this house catch the eye: Pablo Tamayo's works made with shadow technique (the first one called "raindrops"; and the second one that pays homage to Gabriel García Márquez) and a splendid courtyard with bushes and plants, ideal for spending the afternoon, a cup of coffee or a peaceful reading.
Photo by: Iván Ortiz
Finally, there is House C (a tribute to Chapinero), where the style changes: the brick predominates, the carpet disappears, the handrail changes, and the place's color is completely softened. This house is undoubtedly the most modern and social of the hotel.
Hospitality and comfort
It is not only the common areas such as the lobby or restaurant-café HAB; rooms generate different comfortable sensations. The interior furnishing of each space is such that you feel at home: impeccable furniture, neatness everywhere, and optimal conditions for a calm, revitalizing and complete rest.
The HAB offers small, medium, or suite rooms distributed in each house; thus, each visitor has options for different accommodation environments; everything is meticulously designed to make your stay a total experience in Bogota.
Photo by: Iván Ortiz
From farm to table
Perhaps, this is the different and masterful touch that makes the HAB a superior experience. To talk about what farm-to-table means, I turn to Luis Ángel, the hotel's restaurant manager and chef, who explains the subject to me. He tells me that the concept is worked mainly in Europe (England) and the hotel owners, on some trips, learned about this principle, fell in love with the idea, and implemented it here in Bogota.
The farm-to-table concept refers to the traceability of organic food production and some meat products from the farm to the final presentation and service.
However, its principle goes beyond the cultivation and harvesting of fruits and vegetables; the food is treated with such skill and technique to avoid any intervention to give special prominence to the vegetables in minimalist dishes (the vegetables and proteins are obtained from a farm located in Guasca Cundinamarca, very close to the capital); in this way, the slogan "from farm to table"; is achieved at 100 percent.
Three suggested times
To have a whole experience around the farm-to-table, Luis Ángel suggests three dishes that show, in essence, the flavor, the process, the delicacy, and the subtle way of exposing the gastronomic proposal of the HAB hotel.
For breakfast, the chef suggests "For starters, some creamy eggs go very well; they are montaditos (yucca and cheese waffles) with a creamy egg on top (a kind of scrambled egg, with lots of paipa cheese).
As a lunch option, Luis Ángel emphasizes, "Although the mushroom hummus is a starter for sharing, it is a dish in which you leave no trace whatsoever. The ingredients come from the farm, and to keep their freshness, we use pickling and very subtle fermentation methods; it's a fantastic and delicious dish".
To close, at dinner time, the restaurant director proposes, "The lamb leg is a dish of high quality; it has a great process because the lamb comes from Guasca, and here, with great respect, we try to make the most of the product.
The shoulder of lamb is a unique and tasty dish to share. Hotel HAB is more than a good one... it is a great host. A different space where
design, craftsmanship, and culture have a unique value. The gallery of experiences is where art, hospitality, and fine dining come together.
Because a great host always gives the best, HAB invites you to live your best experience in Bogotá.
