MARILU'S BED AND BREAKFAST

"Helped along the way in Chile" by LYNDA HOWLAND
Pittsford, NY. INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL NEWS, September 1999
"I found myself traveling alone in Chile in May '99, and my extremely limited command of Spanish proved to be a significant barrier to getting around and joining tour groups in Patagonia. The B&B in which I stayed in Providencia section of Santiago was excellent. It is owned by Marilu Cerda, a friendly and helpful woman who speaks excellent English.... The off season rate for an immaculately clean and nicely furnished room was $25 ( dollars ) And this included a substantial breakfast. ...Marilu showed me around the neighborhood, accompanied me on a bus ride to teach me how to navigate around Santiago, and arranged inexpensive transportation to the airport.

Dear Miguel & Marilu!
Even if it is a litle late we wantet to say thank you so much for all your help, while we were staying in Chile. You made our trip a lot more easy, and your home felt like the home of our own family. We are now back i Denmark, back to study and work, back to a really cold winther and back to not always a pleasent reallity. Besides that...... everything is going just fine and the time is running. You gave us a very pleasent stay, we won´t forget Thank you so much
Hugs from Denmark Charlotte& Charlotte (and also a hello from our two danish friends you met) We have send two pictures with this email. One with the two of us and Anthony, and one with the red hair...

Hi, My stay at Marilu's B&B couldn't have been better. I found the rooms very clean and comfortable. From the moment I arrived, I felt like a part of the family instead of a guest, Marilu speaks very good English. The breakfast was very Chilean, and very good. The location is quiet and convenient, close to the metro and micro travel. I would recommend this hostel to anyone visiting Santiago, it was GREAT! Thank You! Gene

Subject: Recommendation for Santiago de Chile
Dear Travel Section Editors at San Francisco Chronicle: Here is a submission to your Follow the Reader portion of the Sunday Travel Section....................................................
If you plan to be in Santiago de Chile for a while or on route to Patagonia, the Atacama Desert or anywhere else for that matter, Marilu¹s Bed and Breakfast is the place to stay. Marilu and her husband, Miguel, are statisticians working from home who turned their flat in the Providencia section of Santiago into a B&B because, as Marilu (who speaks English and French as well as Spanish) explains, they love to meet people from all over the world. Whether you want to meet travelers (of all ages, travel styles and points of origin), practice your Spanish, learn about Chile or just be left alone, you will experience a slice of the Chilean lifestyle at Marilu¹s. She will even arrange for you to visit with another Chilean family if you like. My husband and I recently spent three weeks traveling between Santiago and Patagonia. Marilu¹s and Miguel¹s personal attention to our travel needs made us feel like friends, not tourists.
Located at 246 Rafael Cañas Street near the Salvador and Montt Metro Stations, Marilu¹s is convenient to Santiago¹s best restaurants and museums. Rates range from $27 a day for a small single room, shared bathroom to $44 for a double room with private bath. Breakfast and free Internet service are included.