If you want to go to one place to find reviews of the best northern Patagonia Chile places to stay, ones that are ready to please luxury travelers, then you’ve landed in the right place. No other publication, online or off, has reviewed all the top luxury hotels like we have and kept them updated with in-person reviews over the years.
In most cases, we reviewed the best northern Patagonia Chile places soon after they opened, then returned to them when there was a name change or a series of renovations. Lately we’ve got three updates to share on lodging that you should consider for your next trip through the region. Then at the end we’ll throw in a few more to complete the whole journey.
Tierra Chiloe
Spelled Chiloé locally with the accent, the Chiloe Archipelago is a legendary wild location in northern Patagonia on the Pacific, a land with far more animals than people. Tierra’s luxury all-inclusive property is located on Chiloe Grande and boasts the only real spa in the area, as well as the longest list of adventure activities and excursions you can take advantage of. The property even has its own boat to get you out and about to explore islands and coves.
This property was first known as Refugia, in a smaller form, the expanded when small luxury property chain Tierra Hotels purchased it around a decade ago. The architecture is stunning from the outside and the views through the walls of glass all have some water in them.
While “all-inclusive” may conjure up images of mega-resorts in tropical beach zones, Tierra’s concept is more akin to what you find at Explora and Awasi: small properties with excellent cuisine and expert guides for daily adventures. This Tierra one has just 24 rooms, so even at capacity you’re not sharing it with much of a crowd. You’ll have a chance to get to know them though:
An unexpected touch from the kitchen is an offering of a different hot appetizer during cocktail hour each evening. Small bites including asparagus wrapped in bacon, shrimp on a skewer with grilled tomato, and fresh sopapillas (fried bread made with squash flour) topped with avocado. These thoughtful bites make the evening feel more social and fully formed as guests gather before dinner.
See our full review of Tierra Chiloe in our online magazine.
Mari Mari Natural Reserve Experience
Mari Mari is not far from Tierra as the seabird flies, but on the mainland across a channel. It’s one of the few properties open all year in any part of Patagonia and as with Tierra, has a history that stretches back to a previous era. It was once featured on Anthony Bourdain’s original travel show when it was called The Cliffs Preserve.
If you want to go hiking in Patagonia, you’ll have plenty of room to roam here. The lodging buildings are just a speck on the whole property, a 9,000-acre private coastal reserve. There are long hikes and horseback rides available. If you visit between December and February though, you might see one of five types of migrating whales passing by.
You won’t have any trouble spreading out and relaxing though when you get back to your quarters:
Each 2-bedroom villa has 3,800 square feet of space and each 5-bedroom villa has 5,500 square feet of space. All of the villas are named for native animals and all have large fireplaces, sea views, private gardens and decks, jetted tubs, radiant heat flooring, great beds and bedding, and organic bathroom amenities. Each villa also has a private outdoor wood-fire heated hot tub just steps from the beach and a staff member runs around from tub to tub to make sure each one is hot and ready to use at any moment.
This property is also all-inclusive, with excursions and one massage per stay per guest included. See more pictures and a detailed review of Mari Mari Natural Reserve.
Hotel Antumalal
Mid-century Modern meets lakeside luxury at this quirky family-run hotel that has been handed down (and refined) through four generations. Located just outside of Pucon, it has stunning Lake Villarrica views from several vantage points, plus the spa area features a split indoor/outdoor swimming pool.
It has grown over the years to 15 rooms and 4 cottages. You won’t be treated like just another guest here: there are no room numbers. Instead, your name is printed on a slip of paper and attached to your door. They know how to handle royalty too it seems.
The Royal Chalet, for example, is a two-bedroom, three-bathroom affair with a living room, multiple fireplaces, a kitchenette, and a flagstone patio with a picnic table and lake views. As the name implies, this is where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip once stayed.
See our full recent review of Hotel Antumalal.
Other Northern Patagonia Chile Luxury Hotels
These are not the only luxury hotels in northern Patagonia in Chile, just the ones we have updated in the past few months. Here are a few others to consider in the region.
andBeyond Vira Vira – Another acquisition by a well-regarded hotel management group, the once-independent Vira Vira is another upscale all-inclusive property where you don’t have to keep signing a bill. There are just 18 rooms and suites here, so the kitchen has time to prepare each gourmet meal with care. This property also has a high focus on sustainability.
Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa – Located in Aysen, this remote lodge that can only be reached by boat is just off the Carretera Austral route. Puyuhuapi is not as luxurious as some of the others we’ve featured, but the big draw here is relaxing in nature. “Days are spent kayaking around the bay, bird watching, visiting the park’s hanging glacier, soaking in the open–air thermal pools, and heading to the spa.”
Explora Patagonia National Park Lodge – This one is tough to summarize in a short paragraph, so go see our recent blog post and full Patagonia National Park Lodge review for the full history of this very special place. Sure, it’s an all-inclusive adventure lodge, but it is also one of the world’s greatest examples of “rewilding” an area and shows what a determined philanthropist and a dedicated team of conservationists can achieve.
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Article by Timothy
Timothy Scott is the founder and editor of Luxury Latin America and has been covering the region as a travel journalist since the mid-2000s. He has visited each country we cover multiple times and is based in a UNESCO World Heritage city in central Mexico, where he owns a home. See contact information here.
