Yesterday's hike took us through the Torres del Paine National Park, and in the course of our day, we had a site inspection of Explora Patagonia - Hotel Salto Chico. The only five star property within the park, the hotel boasts stunning views from its rooms.
Quite distinct from The Singular, different guests will prefer one choice over the other - while others will want to split their stay between the two hotels. Here's how I would describe the difference:
Location: Explora is within the park, and if you want to spend several days exploring the mountains, lakes, and glaciers, you will save a lot of driving time by staying at Explora.
Ambience: The Singular is a quite modern adaptation of an early 20th century factory (a national historic landmark) with a sleek, almost industrial look-and-feel. Explora has a warmer feeling that makes much use of attractive blond wood in its interior design.
Rooms: Guest rooms at The Singular are generously proportioned with large bathrooms and the dimensions of a typical "Deluxe" room. Rooms at Explora feel like "Superior" rooms - much less space to move around, and small lodge-like bathrooms with shower in the tub and a small single vanity. There are a small number of Suites which have the feel of a typical Junior Suite.
Views: Explora has some of the most stunning views I have ever seen from a hotel room. Rooms on one side of the hotel look over the lake and mountain scene pictured above.
Explora has a minimum stay of four nights during high season; The Singular has no minimum night stay requirement.
copyright (c) 2012 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
