Hosteria Lago Tyndall — Hotel in Torres del Paine

We are a couple that stayed 2 nights in a different cabin each night. This was because I initially booked one night and later wanted to add a second night but the booking system wouldn’t let me add on so I booked a separate reservation. ||||First night was in a 2 bedroom 2 bath cabin. The cabin was spacious and cozy. It had a living area and a kitchen. It was very warm and even the floors were heated which was a real bonus on ceramic tile floor. It was a little too warm for sleep and we opened up windows in the bedroom. Alas, we weren’t in this cabin very long as we arrived late and had to switch cabins the next morning. They let us switch early as the previous occupants were leaving very early so they got it cleaned for us before we went out for the day.||||The second cabin was smaller, two bedroom one bathroom which was fine for us still had a living area and a kitchen. This cabin had some issues with the heating system (radiated heat) and they worked on it while we were in the park. Also, this cabin didn’t have heated floors which was the only thing I missed about the first cabin. ||||Both kitchens were equipped for cooking. We used the oven to bake a frozen pizza that we had bought at the UniMarc in Puerto Natales. It took some time to figure out how to use it. The pilot light had to be manually lit but it did work. ||One other thing, the hot and cold water were on opposite sides to what we are used to and I washed my hands in very cold water several times thinking the hot water was broken before we realized this.||||All the cabins that we saw had a covered front porch and at least one of our cabins had a grill (can’t remember if both did). ||||All the cabins have great views. The sun was up by 4 am it seemed and I enjoyed going out on the deck and admiring the view. It’s just a short drive to the entrance of the park and you get another great view going up the hill that looks out over the valley with Paine Grande and the Cuernos in the distance. ||We stayed inside the park the next 3 nights but my husband wished we had stayed at these cabins the whole time as the location was good, comfortable, we liked having a fridge and the price was decent compared to in—park lodging. ||||There is a parking area and some cabins are closer to it than others. We had to carry our luggage a little bit through the grass but no big deal. There is a little building right next to the parking lot to check-in. The owners live on site behind the cabins so they are readily available if assistance is needed.||||If you don’t bring your own food, you can walk to Pampa Lodge as we did one night. I also believe non-guests can eat at the restaurant at Hotel Rio Serrano which is...

Hotel (Hosteria?) has burned down as of November 2017 but Cabanas are still operating as of our two night stay in January 2018; unfortunately there is no longer a restaurant onsite and your only options are the Hotel Rio Serrano (very pricey buffet in main dining room, but sandwiches and salads are available at the bar for a somewhat more reasonable price) or the Hotel del Paine next door (linked by pedestrian bridge) which we were told had an a la carte menu but was only offering buffet (also very pricey) on the days we visited. The cabanas have cooking facilities but be warned there is practically NOTHING available anywhere in the park so pick up what you need in Puerto Natales. Otherwise the best option for affordable meals is the new Cafeteria at Rio Pingo just down the road from Lago Grey Hotel. As for the cabin itself we were pretty pleased it was clean and comfortable (really liked the radiant floor heating), however there is a bit of a sewage smell in the bathroom so you'll want to keep the door closed. We stayed in the Superior (2 bedroom) cabin as that was all they had left and there is loads of room for a family. When we arrived around 7 - 7:30pm there was nobody in the reception booth we had to go looking for them in the house next door. Photo is the view...

Let me preface this review by stating that the location is breath taking. Minutes from the entrance to the National Park its distance from Torres del Paine and its (relatively) low cost is what makes Cabañas Lago Tyndall so appealing. Also the hostess spoke excellent English and was very helpful. The cabin was warm and the beds comfortable. This is, however, where the positives end. Our cabin (#5) was run down. The step leading up to the front porch was broken. The door had a huge gap at the top and the wood was crumbling in the frame. This may explain why you didnt need a key to access the cabin, you could just pull the door open. The kitchen area had a gas stove that you needed to be a mastermind to try and light the oven, even the hostess had to go get help to light it. The water from the tap was a disturbing yellowy brown colour and the bathroom, while new in appearance, had weird smell coming from it. There was lots of building work going on, the back of the cabin resembled a tip, so maybe theyll be upgrading soon. On day of checkout they gave a gentle reminder that it was time to move on by completely shutting off the water. Not helpful guys! Fingers crossed, things will be improved in...