For the opening of the W Santiago Chile we were fortunate to have Jonathan Franklin and photographer Morten Andersen, the guys behind Addict Village attend the party and report back to us on what they saw. We know, we know, what a tough assignment. Enjoy.

W chose Santiago as its first ever South American location roughly five years ago. Finally on Tuesday, The W Hotel Santiago held its official opening party, a trademark WOW experience that included a rooftop pool adorned with three female synchronized swimmers in body gripping silver suits, live bands on various stages and the constant buzz from the estimated 1,200 guests.

Beginning at 8pm, paparazzi stalked the entrance as a virtual

Give us two weeks off and 50,000 frequent flyer miles and we'd high-tail it south of the equator to Chile – especially since the dreary winter season is about to cast its Vitamin D deficient pall upon us until April, at least. Note to self: when it’s winter in the northern hemisphere, it’s always summer somewhere else.

In our Chilean travels, we’ve had our way from Calama to Cape Horn, but have yet to spend more than an overnight and a few in and out flights from Aeropuerto de Santiago in Chile’s fine capital city.

For such excursions, we really dig the Holiday Inn Santiago directly across the street from the airport ticketing gate, but

The Holiday Inn brand doesn't necessarily evoke a sense of hipness or luxury, but the Holiday Inn Santiago Airport just may change everything you think about this well-known chain.

Located literally less than 50 steps from the front entrance to Aeropuerto de Santiago, this property has every amenity the business or casual traveler needs for a long layover or comfortable overnight stay. If you miss your flight or get delayed, there may just be no better place to stay in Santiago.

Looking to cut corners on your next South American trip? Look no further than Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, where an unencrypted signal awaits with your breakfast.

A special friend of Jaunted pinpoints the signal at right by Gate 25, emanating from the Medas Cafe. But because the network isn't restricted to patrons, you can use it even if you don't feel like having breakfast. Just promise to pour that money back into the local economy later, okay?

Related Stories:
· Five Hot Hotels in Chile You Should Know About [HotelChatter]
· We Spent The Week Chillaxing in Chile [Jaunted]
· Would You Buy A Chilean Vacation Home? [Jaunted]
· Airport WiFi Map [Jaunted]

We've been feeling pretty inspired by Jaunted embed Shira Lazar's reports from Chile lately. But are you sold enough to buy in there? Real estate firms are attempting to combat the local slowdown by offering free flights and hotels to new apartment buyers.

Like in the U.S., housing sales in Chile have experienced double-digit losses from last year, and President Michelle Bachelet is working on a national stimulus plan. For realtors in the cities of Santiago and Viña del Mar, that means knocking 20 percent off December prices and adding in some free trips. You don't have to be a resident but you will need a rol unico tributario (individual tax ID for non-citizens) in order to put your deposit on your dream home, which could start at $28,000 USD.

Of course, as we all learned with the American housing crisis, this investment cannot lose because housing always goes up in value... right?

Related Stories:
· Chile realtors offer nighttime anti-crisis discounts [Reuters]
· Social Travel: 24 Hours In Santiago [Jaunted]
· It's Summer Somewhere: Viña del Mar, Chile [Jaunted]

[Photo: Antonio Bracani]

West Coast web media princess, and the latest Jaunted Embed, Shira Lazar is making her way through Chile on a top secret travel mission. She will be posting daily for the next week, in hopes of creating a glorious on-the-fly travel guide using as much point oh social webbing as she can. Enjoy.

Fair warning, this nightlife coverage came after flying and not sleeping for 24 hours. We don't recommend you try this at home, but it's probably worth the lack of sleep if you're a virgin to South America and you only have one night in Santiago, Chile.

West Coast web media princess, and the latest Jaunted Embed, Shira Lazar is making her way through Chile on a top secret travel mission. She will be posting daily for the next week, in hopes of creating a glorious on-the-fly travel guide using as much point oh social webbing as she can. Enjoy.

We had one day in Santiago, the capital of Chile and the city where a third of the country’s population (that’s 6 million out of the total 16 million) live. We were jetlagged and a bit loopy, but that wouldn’t stop us from hitting up as many spots we could in 24 hours. Below we have created a list of what we did with 24 hours in Santiago, hoping maybe you can crib something from it when you find yourself wondering these cobblestone streets. The key to our jaunt? Hooking up with local bloggers to get the ultimate insider’s perspective.

All this week, Eric Rosen will be bringing us his hotel recommendations for an interesting trip down in South America. He explains it all in our latest hotel guide--Budget Boutique Hotels of the 33rd Parallel South.

Santiago is not one of the most tourist-friendly destinations in South America. Perhaps that’s the last remnant of a past strewn with the wreckage of successive dictatorial regimes. Or maybe it’s just because the city itself isn’t that pretty despite the beautiful snow-capped Andes that saturate every vista. Most people don’t even exit the airport, but simply use the city as a transfer hub to Chile’s other points of interest. This is a city of over

Chilean authorities have detained a Finnish tourist after he tried to steal the earlobe of one of the world-famous Easter Island moai stone statues this past weekend. Police said a woman saw a man named Marko Kulju "rip off the earlobe, which then fell and broke into pieces." If convicted, the alleged earlobe thief could face up to seven years in prison and be charged a fine. [BBC]