Some hotels have a location so special that nobody else can offer a view like they have. Either because of history or the right concession from the government, they’ve locked in a special piece of real estate and the experiences to go with it. That’s the case when you look out from the lounge or dining room at Hotel Lago Grey and see massive snow-topped Paine Grande mountain across a lake — and maybe an iceberg from a glacier too.
This hotel sits right on Grey Lake in Chile’s southern Patagonia region and has its own boat for exploring it. You can either drive to a parking lot to get to it or walk 40 minutes or so to the dock. On it, you cruise around the lake and see a glacier that is calving into the water, waterfalls, and views of the different mountains of Torres del Paine.
Most guests who stay here are in the area for adventure activities, and if you don’t have those set up already, the hotel has its own in-house tour company that can arrange excursions. These range from the hike up to the base of the famous towers, which starts an hour and a half away, to different hikes and trails that are less crowded.
Drinking and Dining Options
The weather in Patagonia can be unpredictable, to say the least, so when it turns bad, it’s nice to watch it from inside a cozy space. The lounge at Hotel Lago Grey is a welcoming space, enhanced by the fact that you get a pisco sour or calafate sour drink to enjoy there as part of your check-in at the nearby reception desk. They have two beers on tap, plenty of Chilean wine to choose from, and a full bar for cocktails.
Next to that, with the same view of the lake and mountains, is the restaurant where guests spend a lot of time. The morning breakfast buffet usually features a couple of hot dishes and then an array of fruit, pastries, meats, cheeses, and cereals.
At lunch and dinner, the meals get fancier and heartier, though the choices are limited to make it easier to serve large groups. The highlights for me were a well-seasoned hake fish dish with grilled vegetables and a nice gnocchi in tomato sauce. Salad plates, bread, and wine accompany the dinners. The dining staff are friendly and hospitable. Plus, they always make it to work on time since in this remote location, they live on site during their shift weeks!
Rooms at Hotel Lago Grey
- Get a universal plug adapter
- Buy Travel Insurance
- Get an eSim to be able to use your smartphone abroad.
- Get a Car Rental
There are only two classes of rooms here, which makes booking easy. The choices are standard rooms that are in buildings that don’t face the lake, then superior rooms that do. If you can afford the upgrade, the latter have a full wall of glass looking out at the lake and mountains beyond the swaying trees.
The rooms here are quite comfortable, with quality bedding topped by a thick duvet and several pillows. The blackout curtains work well, and the cranking radiator can be dialed up or down as you wish. There’s another small radiator in the bathroom where a nice surprise awaits: heated stone tile floors.
Amenities are very limited, though, as there is no fridge or coffee maker, no washcloth or body lotion, but there is a satellite TV with one English channel and an extra chair to sit in. Open closets have theft-proof hangers, which seems cheapskate at a hotel where rates usually top $500 per night, and a few shelves to put clothing on (no drawers). Wisely, the rooms have tile in that area where you’re likely to walk in with muddy shoes, then carpet in the bedroom area.
Decorations are minimal, with whitewashed walls and wood slats separating the bedroom from the bathroom. Two bedside lights are on end table,s and there are regular outlets by the beds.
Bring Your Own Fun Though
The main drawback of Hotel Lago Grey is that there’s not much to do beyond eating and drinking. There’s a small boutique for shopping and…nothing else. This is partly understandable since the hotel wants you out on the boat or on adventure excursions, which are excellent, but if you have a bad weather day, you can’t rely on the hotel for any kind of diversion. There’s no game room, library, or other place to gather apart from the lounge.
What my group universally missed was any kind of post-hike facilities to ease the sore muscles. A sauna and whirlpool would have been especially welcome. That seems like a real missed opportunity to keep guests hanging around for more than a night or two.
There is Wi-Fi, so you can retreat to your preferred electronic leashes, but that seems incongruous in a nature location like this. Ways to interact without the screens would be nice.
Rates at Hotel Lago Grey usually start at $560, including breakfast and parking (but not taxes), then go up by about $100 during the high season of December through March. See more information at the official hotel site.
Check rates online at Expedia, Booking.com, Agoda.com, or Hotels.com.
Review and photos by Hotel Scoop founder and now contributor Tim Leffel. He was hosted by Turismo Lago Grey on an organized tour before the Adventure Travel World Summit in nearby Puerto Natales.
