Having stayed at 26 other South American locations, we had our most disappointing stay at the Brighton. We were told in January that we would not need reservations for the low season, so we didn't make any at that time. After reservation problems, we finally were able to obtain a room after staying at another hotel for several days. They gave us a room that they refused to let us look at; we soon found out why. The room was so small that you could not stand up completely in walking to the bed, and you had to walk over your suitcases. The price was now in the 50's instead of the $35 that Fodor's stated. We found nubby sheets, peeling wallpaper, a commode that fell apart continously, a shower that would either scald or freeze, a bathroom mirror that was not aligned with the sink, no towel racks, creeky floors with badly worn carpets, and doors that were unfinished with raw framing exposed. Nothing seemed to have had any maintenance in years. Their view was certainly beautiful, and their location is exquisite; however, the service was at best indifferent, and the food was mediocre and over-priced. This hotel was so highly rated in so many publications that the reality of the situation was far different from what was expected.

This warning goes out to all potential travellers wanting to stay at this place. I was looking forward to our stay at the hotel when I received an email telling me that they were canceling my reservation and giving my room to some Germans that were planning on staying longer than I was. To their credit they did inform me before I left home and not at the check-in counter but we are considering extending our stay in Santiago with a North American hotel chain that knows what a reservation is. Book a room at the Brighton at your own risk.

We had carefully reviewed the ratings of the Brighton B&B. Three weeks prior to our trip I personally made a reservation that was backed by a valid credit card and recieved a confirmation number for Feb 4,2006. The next week we emailed asking which room we would have-- and were told room C. The week of departure from the U.S.we emailed to inform them of our arrival between 8 and 9 pm. When we arrived at 8:15 pm we were told that there was NO room for us--so sorry--and were given 2 names we could try. The first was 3 times as expensive and the second had no private bathroom and no eating facilities. I can only hope that the Brighton and its owners fall off the hills of Valparaiso into the ocean.
m.a. murray

The Brighton is a gorgeous bed and breakfast that has still has some *serious* kinks to work through. We had reserved one of the nicer rooms with a private bath. The first night was amazing—the views were memorable and the food delicious. The next day we went out to the beach, but upon our return to our room, found all our belongings gone and the suitcases and personal items belonging to someone else in our room. The Brighton had 1) removed all our personal belongings without our consent 2) to a room of lesser quality. They then explained that they had essentially overbooked and that our room had been reserved for other guests. Why didn’t the Brighton put these recently arrived guests in the room they were now forcing on us? Why did they not contact us of the problem before? How could they move all of our personal belongings without our permission? It was a very nasty experience—while an individual in charge that night agreed to compensate us for the problem by making the second night free, the next morning, we were told that was no longer case and that we had to pay. We had no choice, but feel that the Brighton’s hospitality has a long way to go to match the beauty of its architecture.