Hotel Modular Express Calama

Clean rooms, modern feel and reasonably priced. This hotel is a short walk from the shopping/town area of Calama. The staff were very helpful and gave great advice. It reminded me of a UK travelodge.

The rooms -- including bathrooms -- are tiny, which did not bother us as digital nomads because they still offered a lot of storage. The first floor lobby spills into an enormous dining room/work hall with plenty of seating and a variety of table heights (great for me to work sitting then move to a standing position). Lots of natural light and you can people watch through the windows. 24 hour attention @ the front desk and wifi speeds work GREAT in the room and best in the lobby. Brekkie is included in your rate and very good compared to other breakfasts we have eaten throughout our stay in Chile, including eggs made to order. Cafeteria offers buffet style or a la carte lunch + dinner. The sandwich we had for dinner was average, but keep in mind there are not many restaurants open on a Sunday in the area. Secure, off-street parking and we found that ~33% of the front desk staff we encountered spoke some English. NEGATIVES: 1) The room size is tight, but fine, except that there did not seem to be much air flow. This led to us sleeping with the window cracked for circulation, but the street noise is a distraction throughout the night. Bring ear plugs. 2) The included gym is a good thought but does not have free weights/weight lifting equipment; only cardio. For ~$6 USD/$5000 CHP there is a full gym 1 block away where you can buy a day pass. 3) Hotel contract mentions a safe in the room, but we did not see one in ours?! That would have been a useful touch. 4) I know the hotel cannot help its location, but I do not believe this is in the "best" area of town. That being said, Calama is a bit rough anyway so the entire city itself statistically is not as safe as the aggregate of Chile. Case in point, EVERYONE tells you to not be out after sunset and the day of our arrival a poor teen was stabbed ~5 blocks from the hotel. This does not reflect in my rating of the hotel, but travelers should know that going into Calama/this hotel.