Soul Lifestyle: The Perfect Medellin Launchpad

TLDR? Soul Lifestyle is the perfect place for those wanting to stay in a luxurious part of Medellín.

Most foreigners who come to Medellín are fully aware of the fact that El Poblado is one of the best neighborhoods. Heck, it even made its way into one of the famous songs by hit reggaetón artist J Balvin!

One of the nicest buildings in Poblado has to be Soul Lifestyle. And, lucky for you, I got the chance to stay there during my time in Medellín.

Keep reading to learn what this amazing place is like!

What is Soul Lifestyle Medellin? 

Soul Lifestyle Hotel, often called just Soul by the locals, is a luxurious condo-hotel located in the Alejandria area of El Poblado Medellin. It’s nestled nicely at the bottom of a quiet road in El Poblado leading into the heart of the town and is great for both short and long-term rentals.

The hotel is located at Cra. 35 #2 Sur -120, Medellin. It’s pretty easy to find if you plug it into Google Maps (or just click on the link).

What’s Nearby

The local version of Whole Foods, named Carrulla (pronounced “Ca-ru-ya”), is conveniently located within five minutes walk. Here, you can find all your household necessities.

Other nearby hangouts include the Zona Dos Mall and the popular fast food chain El Corral.

There are also plenty of parks and plenty of wonderful natural surroundings to experience. And of course, there are plenty of local nightlife spots nearby.

Regardless of whether you’re coming to Medellin for a night on the town or to reconnect with nature (or both!) this is in the perfect location. With its convenient location and luxurious accommodations, let’s see what else this hotel has to offer.

An Eco-Friendly Hotel

For anyone traveling and hoping to offset their carbon footprint, Soul is the place for you. Much of the hotel is naturally ventilated, such as the lobby. In other words, it’s nice and cool thanks to the large windows and doors bringing in the fresh air. 

And on top of that, all the hot water in Soul is produced by solar collectors on the rooftop.

Every room has a recycling bin and the disposal room is very easy to navigate. Recycling goes in the green (which was on the left-hand side on my floor, but I don’t know if every floor is the same).

The chute is for the garbage only, though, so make sure you follow the directions to be green, they take sustainability seriously here!

How to Make a Booking at Soul Lifestyle

My boyfriend and I just returned from our stay at the Soul Lifestyle Hotel. Being a foreigner, I was not sure what to expect when booking my stay here for the first time in Medellin.

Previously, we only stayed at Airbnbs sometimes with complicated key/entry access, so I was impressed that we were greeted by full-time reception and security staff.

Communication at this hotel can’t be talked up enough, the staff is 100% bilingual and so helpful to first-time Medellin travelers.

The easiest and cheapest way to book your stay is to go directly through the company’s website, at Casacol.

There, you can also find the contact information for the manager, who was my point of contact on WhatsApp. She’s extremely helpful and friendly and can definitely answer any questions you might have before or after you check-in. 

Getting to Soul Lifestyle

Once we had our booking and lodging all squared away, our flight from Bogota to Medellin only took 20 minutes, not including the line at the airport, of course.

Flying from the states to Colombia, however, will take you several hours.

The hotel provides its own private transportation at reasonable rates that take you directly from the airport to the hotel. My boyfriend and I already had a Cabify account set up, so we used this to get to the hotel instead.

Using Soul’s transportation is going to cost you about the same as a taxi, but the drivers all speak English which is super helpful. They can give you great tips for navigating the city and all the tours and sights. 

If you don’t have a Colombian phone number Cabify may not be available to you. Uber also works well in Colombia, but sometimes with a lot of driver cancellations and often poor communication (very little English among drivers).

The ride from the airport to the hotel will take about 25 minutes through a new tunnel or about 40 minutes down the old “Las Palmas” route.

First Impressions of Soul Lifestyle

Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by a pleasant receptionist who will provide you with your pin code to your bedroom. We arrived in the afternoon and Valentina was working at the front desk. I was in contact with her via WhatsApp prior to arrival and she helped us get our room in order. 

I remember the fresh scent of coffee brewing in the lobby, which I was welcomed to along with creamer and sugar. Once our room was ready (check-in is at 3 pm – earlier when possible), we made our way to the 4th floor. 

The best word I can think of to describe Soul is “refreshing”. It wasn’t the type of Hotel that would overwhelm you with elaborate decor or trinkets. Instead, it’s a place that feels clean and efficient, like a home away from home. 

Combined with the natural surrounding and quiet neighborhood, the hotel is a perfect place to refresh. 

Our Suite and What the Rooms Are Like

Our suite was both spacious and luxurious. It consisted of a combined kitchen and living room with a scenic view from the balcony. 

The balcony connects to the living room and is only separated by a sliding glass door and curtains. I personally thought this was perfect since it allows you to see the outdoors comfortably while still enjoying the comforts of AC.

The bedroom was stunning, with a bed that felt large enough for three people. My boyfriend and I found it to be one of the most comfortable beds we’ve ever slept in. Apparently, they designed their beds from scratch with a local manufacturer.

The apartment was equipped with one full bathroom and one-half bathroom. And, the shower was always hot soothing with great pressure, but not the kind that sprays large quantities of water globs at you. 

Lastly, the kitchen had a four-burner electric stove, fridge and freezer, and small appliances like a microwave and blender. It was perfect for cooking at home when we weren’t enjoying the amazing restaurants in El Poblado.

Soul’s Common Areas

Soul has a bunch of common areas, all of which come with high-speed internet—including the terrace!

On the terrace, you’ll find a beautiful sanctuary. There’s a gym, sauna, game/billiards room, a swimming pool, and a study area.

Personally, I came here to focus on my work, so I found the coworking space was perfect for getting in the zone with work. 

Let’s take a closer look at each of these spaces.

The Terrace/Rooftop

The terrace was so beautiful and has tons of great views of the city. 

If you go to the very end of the terrace you’ll be able to see the brick-colored rooftops contrasting against the green of the trees. If you’re near the pool, on the other hand, you’ll be able to see most of the skyline!

The very tall buildings are on this side of the terrace as well. They really help illuminate the skyline and the shadows cast against the buildings make the whole city seem enchanting.

The Gym

The gym was by far one of my favorite parts of this hotel. It has two treadmills with three speeds and three levels of incline. They’re both facing the large windows overlooking the city, which provides a nice view while you’re working out. 

For all you bodybuilders out there, you’ll be pleased to know that there’s a weight bench as well as a lifting rack. I did use the weights for squats but wasn’t able to use the lifting machine (maybe one day!). 

They also have a peloton-type bike and two stationary bikes. I really enjoyed using the bikes for a cool-down after the treadmill. But, of course, it is totally up to you for your workout execution.

Just make sure to text the Soul WhatsApp (24 hours) to reserve the gym in order to avoid congestion. I always did it the day before, and you can reserve it for one hour between 10 am-9 pm. If no one reserved it after you and you feel like staying longer, no problem! 

The Sauna/Steam Bath

The hotel has a Turkish-style steam bath, which I’ve never used before! I remember thinking it was the coolest thing since I’ve never been somewhere that has a sauna. 

This place was so clean! I always feared using a sauna because I just felt they were so icky. But, when I saw this one I was pleasantly pleased with how cozy and clean it was. 

I stayed in my bathing suit the whole time, though. I don’t know the hotel policy on going in with a towel, but I felt more comfortable in my bathing suit. 

The Pool

The pool is a little higher up on the terrace than the rest of the seating area. It’s also nicely concealed behind some shrubs which provides the people using it a bit of privacy. 

The height of the pool also provides a breathtaking view of the city. I felt like I was flying while I was swimming. There are also nice lounging chairs all around the edge of the pool. 

I thought this was excellent for families with kids and we saw quite a few families. The parents can chill out in the lounge chairs and the kids can play in the pool in full view of their parents. 

Private Driver Services

Not only does Soul have private transportation to and from the airport, but they provide transportation for tours around the city as well. These trips cost between $30-$40 per hour. We used this service to go on a cacao tour and coffee tour.

Our driver was named Sebastian and he spoke perfect English and navigated difficult terrain with ease. He drove us up mountains and down country paths.

I highly recommend using their service over a taxi or driving your personal car. Just ask the reception team and they’ll hook you up!

Helpful and Friendly Staff

In closing, I just want to give a little “shout out” to the Soul staff. The entire team spoke excellent English which was very comforting to me when I was traveling here.

Last, the hotel’s staff at the in-house Smash Cafe, are all very kind and helpful, too. The staff here spoke English so getting your morning coffee is easy. Not to mention the food was so fresh, healthy, and convenient for us in the hotel.

They also bring your food to your room, which I thought was awesome. Overall, the staff is amazing and is truly the part that makes this whole hotel feel like home.

Book Your Stay at Soul Lifestyle

The hotel is so lovely that I didn’t want to leave. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole stay and I remember feeling I was going to miss this wonderful city. I’m sure the next time my boyfriend and I visit we will be visiting Soul as well.

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