Back in September, as I was moving into an apartment in Poblado, my friend Troy was renting the first available room at the newly opened Art House Medellin. Two friends, Todd from California and Gerard from Australia, invested in renting and furnishing a 5-bedroom apartment in the La Magnolia neighborhood of Envigado, very close to where I lived in 2009. Technically, Envigado is a separate municipality from Medellin, however if you’re not familiar with the region, it’s easier to think of it as a suburb.
Over the next few months, I’d visit The Art House frequently to hang out with Troy, and enjoy the regular parties and barbecues on the rooftop terrace. I’ve met a lot of cool people, both Colombians and foreigners, as a result of my time there. While I haven’t rented a room myself, I do have a great feel for what it’d be like to live there for a few months.
Before the guys took some time off to travel outside of Colombia, I caught up with them to get the details behind their new business.
Guests and friends enjoy The Art House's rooftop terrace. (Photo: The Art House)
What’s The Art House all about?
What we offer is a healthy alternative to the Hostels in Medellin. The Art House is not a hostel and we are not trying to imitate one. We identified that Medellin is a great city for living, working and studying, so we designed our guest house to cater to tourists who want to stay here for more than a weekend. We also wanted to open our guest house outside of the touristic areas of Poblado and Parque Lleras, to give our guests a better taste of the Medellin culture.
We are both seasoned travelers, so what we have tried to create with The Art House is something different from a hostel/hotel, a place that is more connected with the neighborhood and community.
The remodeled kitchen. (Photo: David Lee)
How did you get started?
After living in La Magnolia, Envigado for a number of months we decided that this was a great suburb we wanted to share with other tourists. We were quiet surprised that such a great, friendly suburb was almost unheard of to tourists.
We searched for about 4 weeks to find the best house which we could renovate and turn into something livable, spacious and comfortable for our guests.
Once the contract was signed, we installed a new kitchen, new hot water system, a new rooftop terrace, hammocks and curtains. We had a tradesman paint the house and fix a lot of problems, such as broken toilets and faulty power outlets. All this took a little over 2 weeks to complete.
The Art House dining room. (Photo: David Lee)
How is it different from other hostels and hotels?
The biggest difference is our size, comprising of only 5 rooms, it means that we can offer a more personal service to our guests. Our prices are on par with hostels in Medellin, but we believe we offer more free additions to make living here more comfortable, things such as: free laundry use, a fully equipped large western kitchen with modern appliances which brings back the enjoyment of cooking on the road, free BBQ use on the terrace and deluxe new quality double and queen sized beds.
We don’t have a reception desk or a bar, but what we offer is a home away from home.
Where did the name The Art House come from?
It was the first name that came to mind, but we both believe that its sums up the vibe and culture of our guest house. We are both interested in photography, learning Spanish and dancing, and we know of many private schools in our neighborhood which offer a number of such courses. We actively help our guests find the right course to suit their interests.
Who is your guesthouse targeted at?
The Art House is targeted at couples and tourists who want to spend a couple of weeks or months in Medellin, guests who want to take short courses in such things as Spanish, salsa dancing, painting, cooking or photography.
We have a number of hiking trails and waterfalls in the immediate area so we also encourage outdoor enthusiasts.
All of our rooms have double or queen sized beds which are perfect for couples and our western style kitchen is fully equipped to cook a great meal.
A full barbecue is not an unusual site on the rooftop.
Why Medellin, and in particular the suburb of La Magnolia?
Medellin is a great city and has been on the backpacker radar for a number of years now. It’s safe, clean, and modern, but it also retains many traditional Colombian charms.
In particular, La Magnolia, Envigado is a great suburb of Medellin. We chose this area because after living in La Magnolia for 3 months, it has an almost indescribable charm. It’s a combination of a number of things: street parties, family BBQ’s on the sidewalks, a large number of family run groceries stores and restaurants, locals who are proud of their neighborhood and beautiful gardens on every street. Everything you need to live comfortably is within a 5 minute walk of of our guesthouse — everything from gyms, small cozy bars, family run restaurants, butchers, fruit and vegetable markets, clothing shops and parks.
What is there to do around the area?
Hiking: There are a number of excellent hiking trails which follow beautiful rivers and waterfalls. These can be accessed by a short 20-minute bus ride. There are also 3 modern gyms and 2 outdoor gyms all within a 5 minute walk.
Learning: A private school 2 blocks away offers Spanish, dancing and painting courses which are very affordable.
Drinking /Dancing: Explore the surrounding streets and stumble across a large number of small cozy traditional bars for that authentic Colombian experience.
For dancing, a 5 min walk to central Envigado and you can choose from a long list of large clubs which are very lively on the weekends.
The Rooftop Terrace is a clear highlight of The Art House. Tell us a bit about the events you have held
up there.
This was the selling point when we chose the property. It’s a great area to throw a party or just chill out with a beer and a BBQ. It has lovely views of lush green mountains and the city of Medellin.
The Art House (Master Bedroom)
How do people usually find out about The Art House?
A number of methods at the moment, from word of mouth to hostel booking websites. As we are new and small, we think that word of mouth will be our greatest form of marketing and getting “bumbs in seats” as the phrase goes.
Our aim is to have a large number of customer reviews on hostel booking websites to increase our appeal to tourists, as we know that these booking websites are extremely popular with backpackers.
How is The Art House using social media, such as Facebook?
We use Facebook to post information on parties and activities which we hold, and then to upload photos from these events. It’s an informal way to promote our guesthouse.
What’s next for The Art House team?
Since we have only been open for a few months, our aim is to achieve a high percentage of occupancy. Once this has been achieved, we may open a similar guest house, possibly in the same area. We both have other plans in the pipeline too. Todd is looking into promoting medical tourism in Medellin, and Gerard is planning on opening a gymnasium in the future.
Contact Info
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: +57 (4) 270-5331
- ADDRESS: Transversal 34 Sur, 33-39, Apt 301, La Magnolia, Envigado, Medellin, Colombia
To find out about availability, and learn more, visit The Art House website.
I’m def going to look into this once I head down there! I’ve seen much similar places when i was living in buenos aires
WanderingTrader´s last [type] ..PLANNING MY ITINERARY AROUND THE WORLD – ARGENTINA EDITION