Camino Real Aparthotel & Spa

Rooms and decor

Picture a room that is more than a bedroom — a small apartment in the middle of La Paz — that is Camino Real Aparthotel & Spa. The hotel sits in a tower on Capitán Ravelo street in the heart of Sopocachi, the district locals rate as the most comfortable place to live in La Paz. Almost all 47 rooms are apart-suites: open the door and a working kitchen is right there, with an electric stove, microwave, fridge, coffee maker and basic cookware. Past that is a living area with a sofa, dining table and TV, then a separate sleeping zone. Some rooms have a small balcony where you can stand in the cold air and look out over La Paz tumbling down the valley. The décor runs warm — wood and cream tones, built for real use rather than for trends. This is not a room that photographs beautifully for Instagram, but it is one that still feels comfortable after a week. It works well for a family of 3-4 who need separate rooms, couples who want a lounge to make morning coffee in, or business travelers tired of cramped hotel boxes.

Food and amenities

What sets Camino Real Aparthotel apart from the usual La Paz apart-hotel is a set of facilities genuinely designed for a high-altitude city. Downstairs there is a warm indoor pool — and that matters, because La Paz sits 3,600 metres above sea level and stays cold most of the year, so an outdoor pool would be useless. Here it is an oasis you can soak in any season. Next is the Oxygen Spa, the hotel's clear selling point, with a sauna, a steam room and, best of all, a high-concentration oxygen-therapy room that helps your body adjust to the altitude faster. If you arrive on day one with a dull altitude-sickness headache, sit in it for 20-30 minutes and you will feel noticeably better. There is also a small gym, and just as notable is the breakfast — many reviews agree it is the best they ate in Bolivia. It goes all out: eggs made to order at the table, bread and croissants baked in the hotel, local Bolivian fruit you rarely see elsewhere, cheese, ham, fresh juice and properly fragrant Bolivian coffee. Some guests plan to wake up early every day just for this spread.

Location and getting there

The heart of Camino Real Aparthotel is its spot in Sopocachi, the district La Paz locals call the one they most want to live in, with a bohemian feel that mixes hip cafés, restaurants from many countries, good wine bars and art galleries — all within walking distance. About 5 minutes from the door is Plaza Avaroa, the square at the center of the district, ringed by restaurants, plus Sopocachi Market with fresh produce and local eateries open every evening, cheaper and tastier than in the tourist zones. If you like wine and an elegant dinner, fine-dining spots such as Gustu (ranked among Latin America's 50 Best) are a few minutes' walk away. Getting around La Paz is easy too — a 10-minute walk or ride reaches the Mi Teleférico Libertador station, the cable-car system that is La Paz's standout public transport, where the Amarilla or Verde lines link you across the city. The central Witches' Market and Plaza Murillo are a 10-15 minute taxi ride. El Alto airport sits on the plateau above the city, a 35-45 minute drive down the hill. For Death Road, Tiwanaku or Salar de Uyuni, the hotel's travel desk can arrange tours.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The first thing reviews agree on is that the building and décor look dated. The hotel has been open a good while and has not had a heavy renovation like newer places, so some furniture and kitchen items in the rooms are well-worn and a few curtains or carpets are fading. If you expect chic, modern design you may be let down — come here for the space and the location, not for photo-ready looks. The second point is the uphill location: Sopocachi sits on a steep hill, so walking back from the central districts or the Witches' Market means climbing, and at 3,600 metres that is clearly harder than usual, with quick shortness of breath. Take a taxi on the way back (it is cheap; ask the staff to call one for safety). The third, in some reviews, is unstable Wi-Fi, especially on upper floors, and heating in some rooms that may not warm up as much as you would like — La Paz nights drop to 0-5°C, so ask housekeeping for an extra blanket if you feel cold. Last is the location itself: this is not the tourist-heavy Murillo zone but a local district, so late at night the streets are quiet and few places stay open. If you want all-night buzz, think twice.

Our take

After reading through hundreds of real reviews, our team finds Camino Real Aparthotel & Spa an excellent fit for anyone coming to La Paz for a long stay, or as a family or group that wants more space than a cramped hotel room. The strengths are the kitchen-equipped suites you rarely find in this city, the location in the comfortable, food-rich bohemian district of Sopocachi, an Oxygen Spa and indoor pool that help your body acclimatize to 3,600 metres in a way other hotels here do not, and a top-tier breakfast many call the best in Bolivia. But if you want a modern, photogenic design hotel, or to be right inside a dense tourist district, this may not be your answer. Overall we give it 8.8/10, best suited to families, long-stay travelers and couples who value comfort, a bohemian location and adjusting to the altitude over a luxurious room.