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A Superior Room, at the Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa |
On my second and third days in Chile as part of the USTOA 2010: Out of Country Meeting inChile , I landed at perhaps one of the most luxurious lodges I’ve ever been at and perhaps one of the best hotels in all of Chile, the Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa.
The property is a traditional mountain cabin with many luxurious touches including rooms right on the water with spectacular views, and some top-notch cuisine from traditional seafood dishes to some tasty lamb and pork ribs. The property is home to a small bar just to the right of the lobby with a fireplace, couches and just about any top-shelf liquor and wine you’ll need to get you in the relaxation mode that a stay at this hotel requires since all of a guests' energy will be needed the following day.
The hotel offers a variety of excursions, included in the room rates, from both long and short hikes to the top of a hill in a national park where, on a sunny day, you can see spectacular views of a glacier, or guests can simply kayak along the hotel's property while overlooking some gorgeous mountain views and perhaps a sea lion or two if you’re lucky.
Once you’ve gotten in a little action adventure, you can reward your body by dipping in any of the hotels hot and cold springs. There are about five of them, including one indoor pool, while the rest are located outside. I don’t think it’s possible to just take a dip in any of these as most of my “quick dips” didn’t end until my hands and feet looked like prunes.
There are 30 rooms here, including 29 Superior Rooms and one Captain’s Chamber— the hotel’s best room. I stayed in Superior Room #205. None of the rooms have Internet service or televisions, which assists guests in disconnecting from the outside world, leaving all stress behind.
The best features of the room are the huge, oversized windows offering terrific views of the water and the outdoor balcony, which offers the same. The Captain’s Chamber has basically the same layout as the Superior Room except it's about twice the size, located at the top of the hotel . It has “uper king-size” beds, which I was told are much larger than king-size beds.
Individual room rates are roughly $260 a night for a Superior Room, but I was told for the U.S. market, three- and four-night packages are the most popular sell. I’d recommend a four-night package that includes room rates, all excursions, all meals and a one-way catamaran transfer from the hotel. This cost about $2,000 per person and doesn’t include alcohol, except alcoholic drinks served with dinner, and spa treatments.
I recommend this property to affluent, travel savvy couples who are in moderate shape and don’t mind a bit of an adventure getting to the hotel since it’s a long way from the country’s main airport in Santiago and requires another flight and a roughly three-hour boat ride (or nearly six-hours or more car ride) to get to.
Agents should contact Claudia Aguirre, sales manager for the U.S., at [email protected] or call the hotel at 011-56-67-32-5103.
Visit www.patagonia-connection.com.