We were looking for a place to call home for a short time near the center of Montevideo, and ApartHotel Bremen turned out to be the perfect choice. Not only was our apartment large, it had a full kitchen (ok, no dishwasher, but full-sized stove and refrigerator, conventional oven as well as microwave, coffee maker, pots, pans, dishes, glasses, flatware), ample, well-furnished living room with dining table and desk with DSL hookup, a great bathroom with fine shower, two sinks, and even a washer/dryer! And the bedroom, of course, and closet space. Large windows, high ceilings, ornate woodwork, skylights, German ambience in the Middle of Montevideo, Uruguay. Towels and bedding also included. Even umbrellas for the one day it rained. Oh, yes, and not to forget cable TV (including HBO, Cinemax, and several other English-language channels)and DID telephone. I do not know the total number of apartments, but there are several buildings and the office is a few doors up from the building we stayed in on Aquiles Lanza.

The neighborhood seems safe enough (we had no problems in two weeks), but there is a depressing air about parts of it. However, within 5 blocks are Avenida 18 de Julio (pretty much the city's main thoroughfare), the city hall (Intendencia) with its observatory and municipal photography museum, great shopping and eating, supermarkets, and a beach (that may be more than 5 blocks.) Taxis are everywhere and several busstops are literally steps from the hotel. The manager, Ricardo, is fluent in German and English as well as Spanish, and is both delightful and a wealth of information.

The price for all this? I don't know about Summer, but in the middle of the Uruguayan Spring it cost $35 per night! Breakfast not included. I don't recall whether taxes were included. ApartHotel Bremen was a wonderful experience and a great introduction to life in Montevideo.