Chile and Easter Island Family Explorer

The first luxury boutique hotel in Santiago, the Aubrey is a welcome addition to the city. The hotel is set in the fashionable area of Bellavista, close to the Cerro San Cristóbal park, an area famed for its cosmopolitan range of restaurants, bars, shops and art galleries in a relaxed and historic setting. The hotel itself is a carefully converted colonial mansion with just fifteen rooms and suites. Decoration is understated and in keeping with the historic surrounds with modern luxury design pieces to add extra comfort and style. The hotel has a beautiful heated outdoor pool as well as an excellent in-house Italian restaurant which is already considered one of the best in the city.

As one might expect from the Ritz-Carlton, this is one of the best luxury hotels in South America, with impeccable service. The hotel is well located, near some excellent restaurants. The rooms are very luxurious, and the crowning feature of the hotel is the stunning, glass-covered rooftop pool and spa. Which, on a clear day, offers fantastic views to the Andes.

The Singular Santiago is a luxury hotel in the Lastarria neighbourhood of Santiago. A sister hotel to The Singular Patagonia, The Singular Santiago is located in one of the artiest areas of the Chilean capital, Lastarria: the Museum of Fine Art, the Museum of Visual Arts, and the Gabriel Mistral Center are all within walking distance of the hotel. It’s not just the location that’s appealing: the rooftop pool provides a scenic setting in which to both cool down after a day exploring Santiago and take in the view; the spa offers post- or pre-long-haul flight massages; and the Singular Restaurant serves French dishes alongside local specialties, such as Guanaco and Penca, to keep the flavour decidedly Latin. The ninth-floor Sky Bar is the perfect place to polish off a day in Lastarria. There are 62 rooms: the Patio Rooms and the Classic Rooms overlook the Plaza Mulato Gil, and the Deluxe Balcony Rooms have views across the Parque Forestal. All rooms at The Singular benefit from stylish decor and all the mod-cons you could wish for, including wireless internet, LCD TVs, large and comfortable beds, and well-equipped, spacious marble bathrooms.

A charming boutique hotel set in the heart of the relaxed Providencia district of the city. The hotel has an elegant, French style to the decoration of the rooms and communal areas combined with modern comforts. Service is personal and attentive making this a relaxing and enjoyable place to stay and explore the city from.

Built in the 1920s as a four-storey family house, this now delightful boutique hotel wears its past with renewed pride and modern panache. Sympathetically restored and furnished to the tastes of the era yet fitted with, the few but necessary, contemporary amenities and an eccentric luxury polish, Castillo Rojo is a unique piece of Santiago history and style. Located in the city’s bohemian Bellavista quarter, but a block from Pablo Neruda’s house, you have your pick of fine restaurants, museums, art galleries and more. It’s award-winning French brasserie restaurant La Petanque completes the quaint vintage feel of the hotel, along with some very fine tasting pastries. A new restaurant specialising in Chilean cuisine, Cabildo, is due to open in August. A further credit to its sense of individuality, none of Castillo Rojo’s nineteen bedrooms are alike. A mix of standard and superior, plus four suites, the en suite bathrooms are sparse and chic with checkerboard tiles and brass fixings.

Folded into the bohemian heart of one of Santiago’s prettiest neighbourhoods, the Casa Bueras Boutique Hotel (formerly known as the Lastarria Boutique Hotel), really reflects its stylish environs and is a superb little place to stay or stopover in the capital. Housed in a restored mansion dating back to 1927, the 14 spacious bedrooms reflect a more contemporary era for more modern tastes and demands. Divided into four separate categories, each is beautifully decorated and well equipped, while some feature terraces and two interconnecting rooms for families. A lovely garden terrace and outdoor swimming pool give a sanctuary sort of feel away from the bustle of the city, but the immediate district is such a pleasant one, filled with galleries, antique stores, restaurants and shops, that you might be tempted to do some local exploration (being so well placed for it).

Hotel Antumalal is one of the oldest hotels in Chile, which makes it all the more unique in its modernist, Bahaus style. Decoration is very much 60s chic, but full of comfortable detail. Perched on a bluff overlooking the nearby lake there are fantastic views from all parts of the hotel, including the rooms which boast large picture windows. All of the rooms are exceptionally comfortable and, like the rest of the hotel, feel very cosy with their fireplaces and honeyed wooden walls. Service here is very friendly and attentive and the staff will help you plan your stay in the area. The hotel’s facilities include a large pool, spa, beautifully manicured exotic gardens, private beach, bar and the best restaurant in the area (a perfect place to enjoy the sunset over the lake). This really is a special and incredibly unique place to stay.

Located six kilometres outside of Puerto Varas on a quiet spot on the side of the Llanquihue lake, guests at Casa Molino can enjoy stunning views across the lake to the snowcapped peaks of the Orsono, Tronador and Calbuco volcanoes. There are just eleven rooms (including five larger suites) with excellent personal service. The restaurant is excellent and the communal areas are both spacious and comfortable.

You wouldn’t think that the spectacular Patagonian region of Torres del Paine could get any better regarding luxurious design-led hotels, but it just did; with the highly and hotly anticipated sibling hotel to Awasi Atacama, and the only one in the area to do tailor-made excursions for each guest. Twelve curious, wooden-clad, shipping crate-style ‘villas’, which were inspired by the old outpost shelters, lie scattered over the wind-protected plains of its own private reserve and facing the unfolding scenes of Lake Sarmiento and the three tower peaks. Inside these, the warming and minimal Scandinavian cabin décor nicely cushions you from the harsh scenes outside, with natural wood interiors, large inviting beds, your own living room with log fireplaces, hot tub, and with every modern amenity to hand in its 860 square feet. The master villa, which has two bedrooms, is good for families. The dispersal of these freestanding villas actually befits the solitude of your surroundings, giving you a pleasing level of privacy but also a heightened experience of the landscape’s isolation. The main house, just a short walk from the villas, has a dining room, terrace and living area. Awasi is renowned not only for its style, but for tailoring its tours for each individual guest and for serving delectable gourmet food (their property in the Atacama is a member of Relais & Chateaux). Guests will be able to choose whatever excursions they want to do, without having to compromise for the sake of a group.

Housed in the restored, post-Victorian cold-storage factory “Frigorifico Puerto Bories” first built in 1915, the Singular is in fact a National Monument and has been sympathetically and stylishly converted into one of Patagonia’s most elegant exploration hotels. By this we mean its remoteness has in no way inhibited its refinement. Located on the shores of the Señoret Channel, at the end of the Ultima Esperanza Sound, Singular is ideally placed for expeditions to some of Patagonia’s most inaccessible parts and sights. With two of their own boats to explore the intricate fjords, channels and islands, as well as a wealth of other land-based activities, you really are in the best hands. The hotel’s décor has been expertly and creatively designed to a high but understated level of luxury, blended with regional character and the building’s unique history all for a contemporary industrial chic fused with a warm, old-style comfort. All of its 57 rooms command steely Patagonian views over the channel water or rugged plains, and soft carpets, cosy beds and traditional pieces of furniture add a warmth to their contemporary, bunker-style design of bare concrete walls and seamless glass windows. In-between these lie rooms displaying much of the factory’s restored machinery and galleries detailing its history, so Singular acts as much as an offering to the region’s past as it does a hotel. The service and food are both excellent, and apart from the simple task of deciding on whether to go for the Magellenic Lamb or conger eel for dinner, or perhaps what spa treatment you’ll go for to end your day, the bigger challenge is choosing from over 20 different well-thought-out and extraordinary expeditions on offer by Singular. We also highly recommend Pisco Sours at sunset.

Perhaps the most famous hotel in all of Chile, the Explora Patagonia one of the most stunning settings in the world. Looking quite ‘average’ from the exterior, things could not be more different once inside. There are large picture windows everywhere (even in the bathrooms) to make the most of the stunning vistas surrounding the hotel. Much of the furniture is hand crafted from local wood and slate, and there are many little design touches to make things more comfortable. The hotel also has a large indoor swimming pool and outdoor jacuzzis. All activities are included in the programme as are all meals and drinks. Food is generally of a high standard at the restaurant.

Remota’s bold architecture and interior references its Patagonian setting in a very modern way. Slanting lines, grass covered rooftops and native woods all help to create this effect. The large windows make for an extremely light indoor area with stunning views out across the bay. Remota is located just outside of Puerto Natales, so it’s just over an hours drive from the Torres del Paine national park. However, this does also have the advantage of allowing excursions around the Puerto Natales area, The excursions here are excellent with very knowledgeable local guides, and they are all included in the price. Rooms are very comfortable and offer great views out across the bay. The hotel also has a stunning black marble swimming pool, sauna and open air Jacuzzi for relaxing in after a day’s exploring. All excursions, meals, soft drinks and house wines included.

It’s this hotel’s bizarrely beautiful shape, designed to imitate that of a sun-bleached fossil on the ruggedly wild shores of Lake Sarmiento, which makes Tierra Patagonia such a striking place to stay. This impressive blonde-wooded, design-led ‘shell’ houses forty simple yet sophisticated Scandinavian-style rooms. Their exposed timber interiors create a tangible Sauna-like warmth that contrasts well with the views of the desolate pampas outside. There are family apartments of two adjoining rooms available, as well as the extensive Uma Spa, which is particularly welcomed after a hard days hiking the Torres del Paine National Park. The hotel’s superb team of guides and varied activities from horse riding to climbing means you really can take full advantage of your truly magnificent surrounds. Rates are full board and all inclusive.

This freshly painted red and white 1920s mansion (it has just undergone two years of renovations) sits atop a hill in the city's Cerro Alegre neighbourhood looking over the tumbling urban scene towards the busy Valparaiso Bay.   Twenty three rooms laid with original parquet floors have been spruced up with stylish wallpaper and minimalized with modernist furniture and fixings, huge beds and contemporary art pieces dotted here and there. One of the hotel's most talked about features is the on-site Alegre restaurant manned by chef Sergio Barroso (with stints at El Bulli), and is one of the best dining experiences in the city and a favourite with more affluent locals.   The service is exemplary and there's even a spa built of dark slate housing a steam bath, indoor pool, massage rooms and a hot tub to enjoy after a hard day’s scaling the city's streets.

An excellent boutique hotel, Casa Higueras is located in the upmarket Cerro Alegre area with great views out across the harbour and Plaza Sottomayor. The hotel’s a little larger than other hotels of a similar style in the area with twenty rooms and therefore has a more developed infrastructure with larger and more extensive communal areas and facilities. Guests can enjoy a great restaurant, outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi as well as the large terraces and garden. A 1920s building, the hotel was completely refurbished in 2006 in an elegant style mixing the contemporary with the historical aspect of the building.

The Zero hotel is one of the best boutique options in Valparaiso. Located on Lautaro Rosas street – one of the most prestigious in the city – in Cerro Lopez with great views out across the bay. The traditional house has been refurbished in an elegant modern style with spacious, well-appointed rooms. There are just nine rooms (four with views out to sea across the bay) all with high ceilings, Egyptian cotton sheets and flat screen televisions. Other features of the hotel include various terraces from which to include the view, one with a Jacuzzi pool, and a glass fronted viewing deck. Service is friendly and helpful and it’s clear that great attention to detail and care are taken in the day to day running of the hotel.

Another luxurious addition to the Explora hotel range. The Rapa Nui hotel doesn’t disappoint, very much in the concept of the other Explora properties with stunning architecture, beautiful curving wooden interiors, exemplary service and activities. Set on a hill in a quiet area away from the more populated Hanga Roa. The 30 well-appointed rooms each have a sea view and are tastefully decorated in keeping with the surrounds. Rooms are equipped with hydro-massage baths to relax in after a day exploring. Hotel facilities include an outdoor pool and jacuzzi as well as a spa area to relax in. All meals and full program of activities are included in the cost.

Boasting fine sea-views and an ancient aura, you’ll find the Hangaroa Eco Village and Spa on the main coastal road less than a kilometre from the airport and just a few short steps from the centre of the town. This holistic resort has been been designed to reflect Easter Island’s fascinating ancient culture and constructed using local materials such as volcanic rock, cypress woods, and natural clay. Although modelled on the ancient Orongo ceremonial village and built with sustainable practices in mind such as natural lighting, the hotel’s 75 rooms and suites have been luxuriously appointed with oversized tubs and all the modern conveniences. The hotel’s reception itself is a marvel, built to resemble an ancestral “boat house” and care has been taken to ensure that there’s a harmonic interrelation between all spaces. When you’re not exploring the ancient ruins at the Rano Kau volcano or uncovering the mysteries of the past at the Hanga Roa Anthropological Museum, relax at the outdoor pool and terrace and enjoy gastronomic delights at the hotel’s restaurant, bistro or snack bar.

The first luxury boutique hotel in Santiago, the Aubrey is a welcome addition to the city. The hotel is set in the fashionable area of Bellavista, close to the Cerro San Cristóbal park, an area famed for its cosmopolitan range of restaurants, bars, shops and art galleries in a relaxed and historic setting. The hotel itself is a carefully converted colonial mansion with just fifteen rooms and suites. Decoration is understated and in keeping with the historic surrounds with modern luxury design pieces to add extra comfort and style. The hotel has a beautiful heated outdoor pool as well as an excellent in-house Italian restaurant which is already considered one of the best in the city.

A charming boutique hotel set in the heart of the relaxed Providencia district of the city. The hotel has an elegant, French style to the decoration of the rooms and communal areas combined with modern comforts. Service is personal and attentive making this a relaxing and enjoyable place to stay and explore the city from.

The Singular Santiago is a luxury hotel in the Lastarria neighbourhood of Santiago. A sister hotel to The Singular Patagonia, The Singular Santiago is located in one of the artiest areas of the Chilean capital, Lastarria: the Museum of Fine Art, the Museum of Visual Arts, and the Gabriel Mistral Center are all within walking distance of the hotel. It’s not just the location that’s appealing: the rooftop pool provides a scenic setting in which to both cool down after a day exploring Santiago and take in the view; the spa offers post- or pre-long-haul flight massages; and the Singular Restaurant serves French dishes alongside local specialties, such as Guanaco and Penca, to keep the flavour decidedly Latin. The ninth-floor Sky Bar is the perfect place to polish off a day in Lastarria. There are 62 rooms: the Patio Rooms and the Classic Rooms overlook the Plaza Mulato Gil, and the Deluxe Balcony Rooms have views across the Parque Forestal. All rooms at The Singular benefit from stylish decor and all the mod-cons you could wish for, including wireless internet, LCD TVs, large and comfortable beds, and well-equipped, spacious marble bathrooms.

As one might expect from the Ritz-Carlton, this is one of the best luxury hotels in South America, with impeccable service. The hotel is well located, near some excellent restaurants. The rooms are very luxurious, and the crowning feature of the hotel is the stunning, glass-covered rooftop pool and spa. Which, on a clear day, offers fantastic views to the Andes.

Built in the 1920s as a four-storey family house, this now delightful boutique hotel wears its past with renewed pride and modern panache. Sympathetically restored and furnished to the tastes of the era yet fitted with, the few but necessary, contemporary amenities and an eccentric luxury polish, Castillo Rojo is a unique piece of Santiago history and style. Located in the city’s bohemian Bellavista quarter, but a block from Pablo Neruda’s house, you have your pick of fine restaurants, museums, art galleries and more. It’s award-winning French brasserie restaurant La Petanque completes the quaint vintage feel of the hotel, along with some very fine tasting pastries. A new restaurant specialising in Chilean cuisine, Cabildo, is due to open in August. A further credit to its sense of individuality, none of Castillo Rojo’s nineteen bedrooms are alike. A mix of standard and superior, plus four suites, the en suite bathrooms are sparse and chic with checkerboard tiles and brass fixings.

Folded into the bohemian heart of one of Santiago’s prettiest neighbourhoods, the Casa Bueras Boutique Hotel (formerly known as the Lastarria Boutique Hotel), really reflects its stylish environs and is a superb little place to stay or stopover in the capital. Housed in a restored mansion dating back to 1927, the 14 spacious bedrooms reflect a more contemporary era for more modern tastes and demands. Divided into four separate categories, each is beautifully decorated and well equipped, while some feature terraces and two interconnecting rooms for families. A lovely garden terrace and outdoor swimming pool give a sanctuary sort of feel away from the bustle of the city, but the immediate district is such a pleasant one, filled with galleries, antique stores, restaurants and shops, that you might be tempted to do some local exploration (being so well placed for it).