My spouse and I stayed at
Awasi Patagonia for 3 nights in early April 2017. We booked our stay online using
the Relais and Chateau website, but we also had extensive online contact with
our personal Awasi reservationist Elaine, who was based in New York. Elaine
patiently answered our many questions via email as she coordinated our stays
and transfers between the Awasi Patagonia and Atacama properties. Awasi sent us
a pre-arrival questionnaire that inquired about our interests regarding
excursions, food allergies, flight arrival and departure information, and so
on, and they also sent a follow-up questionnaire after our stay so that we
could review our experience.
Awasi Patagonia provides complimentary
transportation from Puerto Natales during specific hours and to meet specific
flights; the drive takes about 2 hours. However, if you require transportation
from Punta Arenas, as we did, the drive takes about 4 hours total (2 hours from
Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales, and then 2 hours from Puerto Natales to Awasi),
and costs approximately $230 USD each way, which is added to your bill. We had
flexibility in our Punta Arenas pickup locations: when we traveled to Awasi, we
were picked up at our Punta Arenas hotel, but when we departed, we were dropped
off at the Punta Arenas Airport. We made one stop at a roadside restaurant with
bathroom facilities on the way from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales (almost 1.5
hours into the trip). Otherwise, the road is rather desolate, and we passed
only one or two very tiny towns (which may or may not offer any tourist
services), so when you reach Puerto Natales, it is like a mirage in the desert!
Our driver parked at the Kau Lodge (which offers rooms, restrooms, Coffee Maker
Café Bar, outfitter store) and we waited to be picked up by Patrick, the man
who would be our guide for the next three days.
Besides the stunning property
and accommodations, for us, one of the main draws to the Awasi brand is the private
guides and vehicles. Your Awasi guide will lead your excursions, and also act
as your driver. The intention is to retain the same guide throughout your
entire stay; our guide was the introspective and observant Patrick. The lodge
offers a detailed printed guide from which you can choose excursions, but your
guide will also make suggestions and help craft a comprehensive program. We
immediately liked polite and pensive Patrick, who proved to be capable,
thoughtful, and intelligent as he showed us the national park. He took just the right
approach with us, offering information and being either present or not,
depending on where we were and what we were doing (for example, he gave us some
private time while we enjoyed a sundowner or morning breakfast). He was also
keenly aware of what we were doing in the backseat; for example, if we rolled
down our window to take photographs, he immediately noticed and stopped the car
so that we could take a better shot. Over our days with him, he shared that he
has a young son, whom he can only see once per month, and it requires the
4-hour drive to Punta Arenas, then a 3-hour flight to Santiago, then a long
drive; it truly made us appreciate the ease with which we can see our own
families.
The
Awasi Patagonia property lies outside the Torres del Paine National Park and contains
about ten villas built/spaced nicely on their private concession. (You will not
even notice the drive to reach the park proper because the scenery, flora, and
fauna are magnificent and dazzling.) Villas were built to incorporate the
gently rolling hill topography, so some units may require a bit of a walk
uphill or downhill to travel between them and the main lodge. (If you find it
too exerting, you can call the lodge and request someone to pick you up near
your villa.) The main lodge includes a foyer/boot room (where you can take off
your hiking boots/shoes and replace them with complimentary slippers that you
keep in a basket marked with your villa number), a lobby area with a puzzle
table, front desk, and small gift armoire, a spacious and airy dining room (with
various table configurations for all size groups arranged either in front of
the walls of windows or near the fireplaces), and a living room lounge area (with
various seating groupings and another fireplace as well as access to a deck
where you can sit outdoors and admire the view).
Meal
service at Awasi Patagonia was excellent; however, we had repeated difficulty
receiving adequate attention from the sommelier Francesca. She was so friendly
that she spent more time at each table than necessary, becoming deeply entrenched
in conversation about the guests’ day that she could not properly attend to
other guests/tables. Bar and drink service was acceptable, although not
proactive (for example, no one freely offered refills; we always had to go to
the bar to ask for them). We enjoyed the diverse food, which uses unique
ingredients in interesting combinations that are plated elegantly. Every
evening, we feasted on a three- or four-course meal that we selected from a
small varying daily menu that offered
three or four selections for each category of appetizers, entrees, and desserts, sometimes paired with
appropriate wines. Breakfast was a semi-served meal, with cold selections on a
buffet table and plated/delivered hot entrees. Lunch was an elegant affair for
guests who remained or returned to the lodge. If we were on an all-day excursion,
we ate lunch away from the lodge: one day Patrick set up an elaborate outdoor
picnic feast, and another day he provided us with brown-bag lunches to take on
a glacier cruise.
As for our private villa, we
entered our gorgeous unit by a small wooden deck and then through a
foyer/boot/coat room. The living room area contained a comfortable sofa, and an
oversize lounge chair/ottoman. Waist-high shelves divided the sleeping and
living areas, with similar shelving surrounding the room (one side of which
held a complimentary minibar [refilled daily] and coffee/tea service, and the
opposite side which held a small wooden box or “treasure chest”, where staff
left us a souvenir/memento every night) and abutting the wood-burning fireplace.
Natural woods and materials were used to construct the floors, walls, and
ceilings, with throw rugs and other textiles like blankets, pillows, and
fabrics softening the look. In the bedroom area, our king-size bed was flanked
by a nightstand on either side, huge closet, long luggage bench, and a series
of shuttered windows that provided a view of our outdoor wood-fired hot tub and
beyond to the Torres. A velvet curtain could be drawn to close off the large
expansive bathroom, which featured a deep soaking bathtub with great views of
the mountains, double-sink vanity, separate extra-large shower room, and
separate toilet room (remember, because of the sensitive sanitary system, do
not flush the toilet paper; use the covered trashcan provided for this
purpose). A selection of L’Occitane toiletries are provided, including shampoo,
conditioner, body lotion, bath salts, and lip balm. A door from the bathroom
led outside and around the villa to the hot tub. (As you leave for your daily
excursion, let a staff member know that you would like to use the tub, and it
will be fired up and waiting for you when you return.) Note that the idea at Awasi
Patagonia is to disconnect and commune with nature: there is no Wi-Fi in the
rooms, nor TVs. (You can connect your
devices in the main lodge, however.)
We loved our stay at Awasi
Patagonia – our villa was our favorite accommodation of our trip because of its
awesome view, spacious arrangement, and attractive décor.
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