Hacienda Tres Lagos — Hotel in Chile Chico

January 11 th 2016, high season. We are expecting the 5 star luxury paradise advertised. Friendly welcome, room with beautiful view with large windows. So far so good, BUT: for 3 days we are the only guests.||Although there is no restaurant nearby on the carretera austral, they include only breakfast in the room rate. So on arrival in the early afternoon we were asked to choose the menu for dinner at 35US$ (2 choices). The dining room is dark and unfriendly and the food by far not worth the price ( Bouillon, salmon with corn mash, postre: fruit skewer). We booked a massage which they warmly recommended as being outstanding: the "therapist" was waring a bellyfree TShirt, normal trousers and socks and when I entered she pointed to the bed and ordered "arriba!" When I felt unconfortable and asked for a cushon or towel, she took my bathgown and sqeezed it under my head! The place was not clean, the massage unprofessional and the price was 50US$. The following evening we met this women when she lead the horses to the water wearing still the same clothes and we wondered for how many days yet. Horse dung was oll over the lawn of the terrace and was not collected during our stay. On the roof of the terrace and on the terrace were two matrasses that were blown from the daybeds of the first floor suite. After 2 days they were still there, only that the 4 dogs on the property had torn the one on the terrace apart - but nobody felt a need to clean up the place until we asked them to. When we ordered a pisco sour, they said sorry we don't have, there are no lemons. The coffee shop, the 2 nd restaurant and the bar were closed during our stay. They have many excursions to offer, but no prices on the information sheet. When we asked we were taken aback about the prices: 1/2 day to the marble caves with a guide 135 US$ p.P. ( we went on our own for 12 US$ p.P.) Full day 220 US$ p.P. When we asked why so expensive, the answer was because the picknick was included. The beakfast: on the 1st day consisted of a buffet, on the 2nd day, there was no buffet, but 2 tiny cups with cereals on our table, bread not toasted, no marmelade, no fruits, but we got 2 scrambled eggs, wow! These are only a few examples. No doubt, it is a wonderful place with beautiful scenery, but it is absolutely not maintained and not clean, the staff is not trained at all. Many things advertised in internet or brochures are simply not there. Now it is 3p.m and we will go to the reception to ask them to clean the room and to bring cushion covers that are not 10 cm too short and don't cover. The hotel has been booked and prepaid by protours otherwise we would have left the first morning. So this by far is NOT the "first luxury hacienda in Patagonia with exquisite cuisine and personalized quality service with dedicated care given to the guests" as written in the...

Well this place is really hard to rate, and I will be doing two write-up’s for both the Hacienda Tres Lagos and the Parador Austral. They are in the same complex. When I wanted to book the Hacienda (was recommended in the Bradt guide) I was redirected to the Parador website. Not sure why but found out when I got here. The Hacienda is closed fort he season, apparently for major renovation work (although I did not see much being done). For New Year’s Eve holiday – due to too many bookings ant the Parador – they closed the Parador and moved all guests into the Hacienda, which was a really nice upgrade (got a big room with full front windows overlooking the lake). All that was a really nice treat. However the common rooms at the Hacienda felt very abandoned and lacked warmth. It’s a really nice place but most things like massages, whirlpool, excursions and the cafe were closed. I did not quite sign up for that and that was very disappointing. Also the WiFi was only available at the Parador and that meant to walk up and sit outside to check up on mails and such. In sun or rain! The restaurant was only open for dinner, although the staff was around all day. It would have been nice to have a bar or cafe where you could get some snacks and little plates like a salad, soup and/or a cheese plate during the day (not such a complicated feat the accomplish I believe). They did though give me some bread to keep me from starving! There is practically no choice nearby. It would also have been nice to have a choice for the main course at the dinner. They just served a fixed three course dinner (and I never knew how much they charged, only when I got the check-out bill) and when one wanted to change something is was not really possible as they had no other food on site! It is really a shame because the location is really great, the room quite spectacular but it feels very run down and lacks professional management. It has so much potential, hope they fix it up not just on the outside but also on personnel and service. Would really be a pitty to let such a gem go to waste. The personnel is very friendly and tries to make up for a lot of things. So I’m not quite ruling it out to stay here again on another trip on the...

I am writing this as we are leaving tomorrow and feel compelled to say that no one should be concerned with the current state in Chile if you are planning to come here!! We flew to Santiago and then on to Balmaceda and drove down to this paradise on the Lago Negro. We have spent an incredible visit here without ANY problems and a first class experience The staff here is wonderful, eager to please and extremely accomodating. The trip from the airport is on a rough, dirt road - the ONLY road to anywhere in Patagonia and you don’t want to make this drive at night. But this serene and first class lodge is worth the trip. Comfortable beds, amazing dining on the lake by a trained gourmet chef - individual attention to ANY requests. The staff is just wonderful. If you want to be greeted by 2 happy, loving, St Bernards who treat you like family, this is your place! We can’t recommend this lodge highly enough The struggles of the Chilean people are REAL but here you feel that Nature makes it all go away - even if temporarily. Just go...you will not regret it. Very well located to activities and nearby. Stay, relax and enjoy the dogs and take a custom prepared wood burning hot tub...