When a team travels to Medellín to compete, the choice of accommodations is not a trivial matter. The hotel where the athletes stay the night before a game affects their sleep, their diet the following day, and their physical condition during warm-ups. It is not a minor factor.
Most coaching staffs know this in theory. In practice, however, accommodations are usually chosen based on price, availability, or proximity to the stadium. These criteria make sense, but they aren’t enough on their own.
What should a coaching staff consider when choosing a hotel?
- Noise insulation. A team playing at El Campín or Atanasio Girardot needs a good night’s sleep the night before. A well-located hotel in an area with heavy nighttime traffic can make that difficult. The Las Lomas 1 neighborhood in El Poblado has significantly lower noise levels than the commercial areas of the same district.
- Temperature control. Muscle recovery is most effective in cool environments. Rooms with individual temperature control allow each athlete to adjust the temperature to their needs, without relying on a centralized system that sets the same temperature for the entire floor.
- Facilities for pre- and post-competition routines. A gym is available for warm-ups, along with areas where the coaching staff can meet without disturbing the team’s rest, and quiet common areas. Café Hotel features a gym, garden, rooftop terrace, and the Bourbon Lounge, which is available for private meetings.
- Nutritious meals. The breakfast buffet included at Café Hotel provides everything a competing team needs: protein, carbohydrates, fruit, and a variety of options. Cofy Club can tailor specific meal plans for groups with specific nutritional requirements.
Why El Poblado and not downtown?
Medellín has a good hotel infrastructure in several areas. El Poblado is home to most of the city’s boutique and high-end hotels, with easy access to the city’s main sports facilities.
Café Hotel is a 15-minute drive from Atanasio Girardot Stadium under normal traffic conditions. A shuttle service to José María Córdova Airport is available from the hotel, which simplifies the logistics of the group’s arrival and departure.
Location as a competitive advantage in El Poblado is not just a marketing pitch. For a team in training camp, minimizing unnecessary travel and maintaining a controlled environment are part of the preparation protocol.
What Café Hotel Offers for Teams
The Café Hotel has 76 rooms. This allows us to accommodate medium-sized groups without splitting the team across multiple hotels, which simplifies coordination for the coaching staff and helps maintain group cohesion.
The front desk is open 24 hours a day. For teams arriving late after a game or leaving early for an away game, this is no small matter: it means there’s always someone available to handle whatever comes up.
The rest and breakfast plan in El Poblado serves as a starting point for groups, but arrangements for sports teams are coordinated directly with the hotel based on the group’s specific needs: meal times, gym access, and use of common areas.
Wet area for recovery
The hot tub and steam room in the hotel’s wet area are facilities designed for passive recovery. Contrast hydrotherapy, the moist heat of the steam room, and muscle relaxation in the hot tub are protocols that many teams incorporate into their post-competition routine.
Having these facilities in the same hotel where the team is staying eliminates the need to travel, reduces the time between the game and the start of recovery, and keeps the team in a controlled environment.
How to Arrange Accommodations for a Team
Coordination for sports teams is handled directly with the Café Hotel team. The process involves setting dates, determining the number of rooms, addressing specific dietary or space requirements, and addressing any other logistical needs the team may have.
Booking directly through cafehotel.com.co is the first step. For groups, specific terms and conditions are discussed before confirmation, not after.
