Apartamentos Estelar Bucaramanga

I stayed in a studio apartment in this quiet, modern building in July, 2023. In Google maps, and on the street, this building is called Edificio Strada Suites. The studio unit I stayed in was privately owned by J. McCormick. It looked exactly like the photos advertised, and was perfect for 1-2 people. The apartment A/C and Wi-Fi were excellent. TV had Netflix. King bed was large and flanked by two nightstands with remote-controlled ambience lighting. Tabletop flat-screen TV was set upon a large black bureau. Basic sofa and glass dinette table. Decent sized balcony overlooked the city buildings and hills beyond. Bathroom was adequate and functional. Shower was fine. A few reviewers commented on a lack of hot water, but the unit has its own water heater. It was turned to the lowest cool setting, so I turned it up a tad during my stay, and it was perfect. Kitchen fridge and microwave worked. The building is located on a quiet side street near the business district. There's a 24hr guard station in the lobby, but the area is safe to walk day and night. Communication with the owner was easy via Whatsapp and check in/ out was simple and fast with the desk guard. Building elevators were fast and hardly ever occupied. . CONs: There isn't much around this area. A few restaurants and small parks are within walking distance. The centro comercial discount shopping area is about a 10 min walk away near a few blocks from the seedy bus station. It is about a 20 min Uber to the trendy restaurant area, and most parks, museums, and sights in the historic center are 30-60min away by taxi/ Uber. Avoid traveling during rush hours as traffic is horrible and taxis/ Ubers very difficult to find. Take a moto taxi. The clearance was tight between the bathroom door and the sink and toilet. Toilet water pressure was low, but no more than anywhere else in the country. The kitchen utensils were a bit sparse, but I only needed a few forks and glasses. The kitchen window did not completely close, so the kitchen area was warm. The A/C unit was on the wall near the entry, facing away from the bed, which meant the A/C remote control could not be used to adjust the air during the night. Not a huge deal, but pretty much negated the convenience of having a remote. The bed was the typical hard mattress found throughout Colombia. The shower door didn't close flush, so water leaked onto the bathroom floor.