Hacienda Dorotea — Hotel in Puerto Natales

Having been so disappointed with the Explora experience in Atacama ( confirmation money doesn’t buy you everything ), other accommodation options in Patagonia were investigated by necessity. And what fantastic fortune it’s been to have had faith in the write-ups of this ‘project in the making’. A family business and ‘themed’ in the tradition of rural Patagonian living, this place exploits it’s wonderful setting with dramatic mountain views from the panoramic bedroom windows that make ‘waking up’ an activity to be anticipated. Design wise, the use of otherwise discarded artifacts are cleverly incorporated into an overall style that is ‘natural’, fresh, neutral, clean and uncluttered. There’s loads of character and it’s comfortable ; peaceful & quiet too. There are common areas which are informal and geared around relaxing and sharing stories of the latest exploration. Breakfast is plentiful and there’s a great choice. Dinner - a la carte - is a hearty and unfussy proposition. There’s a sense of ‘family’ that permeates the service on offer, with lots of smiles and a real ‘can-do’ attitude. Situated outside the main town of Puerto Natales ( flying here as opposed to Punta Arenas was a terrific decision ), the use of taxis is necessary but unproblematic ; 5km, 8 minutes and 5,000 Chilean pesos (£5) from the Hacienda to the centre of town and it’s impressive array of restaurants & cafe’s. 10,000 pesos & 12 minutes and you’re at the tiny airport. Torres del Paine National Park and all its hidden treasure, is less than 90 minutes away. A year in the making - with more to come, Dorotea is fantastic value and with that, it’s an altogether strong...

What a phenomenal place to stay!!! Honestly their website doesn't do it justice at all. The panoramic windows in the rooms are absolutely stunning, and the staff were incredibly kind, helpful, and nonintrusive. It's very clear the area is experiencing a massive surge in tourism, and there are many new accommodations to stay in - however, the service and 'soul' of those places was significantly less than Hacienda Dorotea. On site is a small museum of sorts showing a small glimpse into what the Hacienda used to be when it was a functioning farm. Sitting a clean and comfortable room, looking out across the plains to the sunset on the mountains of Torres del Paine, and sipping a glass of Chilean wine it's not hard to imagine what life was like here. We felt so thankful to stay in a place connected to the history of the place we're in. The restaurant on the 2nd floor has a very simple and filling breakfast, and serves dinner each night along with a nice selection of wine. We enjoyed our time so much we extended our stay, and would have been happy to stay longer. We highly...

The hotel is not located in the downtown area of Puerto Natales. We did not have a rental car, so we were dependent on taxis to move around. Taxis are not very expensive though. When you reach the hotel, the entrance is kind of weird as we have to go around the building to be able to get to the reception. With all our bags, it took some doing. But once we got over the initial hiccups, the hotel itself is very nice. What was unique was that it was made out of recyclable materials, which seems to be quite the standard in Puerto Natales. The rooms are spacious, and the showers were really nice. The rooms overlook the countryside which of course is very beautiful. The staff is friendly and helpful and the restaurant, even though expensive, was really good too. There is a We had a pretty unique and enjoyable stay...