Lodge Morrena Torres del Paine — Hotel in Torres del Paine

My recent experience at Morrena Lodge left much to be desired. While there were certainly positive aspects, my overall impression was not satisfactory. I truly hate writing negative reviews, but I wish I'd been better informed prior to my booking, and I write this in hopes that other travelers don't have my experience.

On the positive side, the lodge was clean, and the bedroom itself, especially the bed, was quite comfortable. The heating system worked well, both with the radiator and the shower, which was appreciated given the chilly Patagonian weather.

My main disappointment stemmed from the fact that it wasn't truly a lodge; it felt more like a mid-tier hostel or refugio. Though the lodge indeed is located very close to the park entrance, many of the photographs of the stunning scenery displayed on the hotel's website turned out to be deceptive; some were not even taken from the hotel premises.

Dining at the lodge was a letdown. The dinner, particularly an asparagus risotto, was subpar, and breakfast was incredibly minimal, featuring stale bread that crumbled when attempting to make a sandwich and the same pots of yogurt and bowls of diced fruit served for the four consecutive mornings of our stay.

Outside food is strictly not permitted in the room, which is not a policy I’ve ever come across in a hotel before. The lack of basic hotel amenities was noticeable. Based on signs posted in the room, the lodge expects guests to accept liability disclaimers for their valuables, but there is no safe available. The shampoo/conditioner mix was not usable and there wasn't a tv (minor detail, as we spent the entire trip hiking anyway).

The bathroom in our room was in need of an update, with the showers being notably small. What was even more frustrating was the fact that the upstairs water jug went unfilled for three full days, and the water from the bathroom sink had a disconcerting brown hue, suggesting that it may not have been potable. This was easily rectifiable, but no staff took care of it during our stay.

The lodge's bar advertised in photos was never open during our stay. Additionally, I witnessed staff telling another guest that they couldn't switch the view from his room because they wanted to conserve gas. This seems like the opposite response of what you would expect to a reasonable request by a guest.

One of the most frustrating aspects of the lodge was the absence of a concierge. When seeking guidance on what to do in the park, we were repeatedly told to ask another employee who wasn't there. On the third day, an employee did finally provide some instructions, which were quite helpful, although a crucial detail was omitted - that the Lago Pehoe boat, which we were advised to take, was currently offering only two trips per day. Luckily we figured this out on our own, but we would have been stranded on the W trail overnight if we hadn't. The employee also indicated that he would set up a nature tour with his guide friend but never followed through, despite having our contact information. Considering the low occupancy during our stay, the lack of responsiveness and hospitality from the staff was disheartening.

In addition to the numerous shortcomings we encountered, I must address the significant disparity in value. We paid a rate of $339 per night for a room shared by two people, and we couldn't help but feel that we were being taken advantage of, especially when we observed the neighboring hotels offering an array of superior amenities for the same price. For example, the establishment next door not only provides excellent accommodations but also boasts two restaurants, stables, a spa, a swimming pool, comprehensive concierge services, and dedicated assistance with planning activities for their guests. In light of this stark comparison, our experience at this supposed "lodge" left us with a sense of unmet expectations.

All in all, we had a fabulous time hiking and sightseeing in the park but ultimately left one day early, in part because of our lackluster experience...

We had a room booked for two nights at The Hotel Morenna whilst we spent an amazing few days in Torres del Paine.

Our initial impressions were good as we arrived very early and a lovely lady on reception sorted out a room for us to settle into before going off to explore. Nice room, comfy bed at the back of the hotel so not the real view but snow capped mountains none the less.

We booked a table for dinner, explored the park then came back for our evening meal. The wheels fell off! We got to the table ordered our main course and drinks, and waited. And waited. And waited. After a good half an hour our food arrived. The hotel website waxes eloquent about the food but what we got were two bowls of something which did not resemble the description on the menu. Mine was a bowl of chicken and beef with a mashed corn topping. My wife's was a bowl of thin chicken broth with a few slices of carrot and a boiled chicken drumstick. Both small portions. Not the traditional Chilean meals described. Being hungry we had to eat them, but we were completely dissatisfied. We wanted to order dessert but by now the restaurant was full of people getting increasingly angry about their own delayed service.

It took a good hour to finally be able to order a pudding, There were three items on the menu. One was discounted because I am Gluten Intolerant. My wife chose meringue, I chose Leche Asada. Guess what, no meringue and only one Leche left. We grabbed it and shared it commenting to the waiter that we had no choice except to share. Who knows what other people got for their desserts. We went to bed hungry.

Obviously, on the way past reception we aired our disapproval to a lady who told us we couldn't be accurate with our complaint as she had had multiple people complement the food and service that night. A downright lie.

The next morning we checked out. The receptionist who checked us in was horrified and confessed that they had had a problem in the kitchen. Well, Doh! She asked us to speak to the owner. We did, useless. The owner took no responsibility for the issue, did not apologise, and flatly refused a refund for our now cancelled second night. No compensation. Just bluster.

We booked into a lovely B&B on Puerto Natales, had a great steak dinner with wine and huge puds for less money than the hotel charged us for the insubstantial meal.

If you are going to Torres del Paine don't go to this hotel. As a last resort take a tent. Your cooking cannot fail to be better than theirs.

As a final comment it seems to us that the draw of the park is used as an excuse for exorbitant prices, low value food and shoddy service....

The hotel is nice enough. The staff are friendly if somewhat uneven in their approach. It seems family run, and your experience varies considerably depending upon who you speak to.

They were nice enough to allow me to eat a late breakfast due to my intermittent fasting diet.

And the location is very good, just a short ride to the Torres de Paine park entrance.

Why 2 stars?

First, the sound insulation is not great. I could hear the adjoining room zipping up their luggage, as an example. Hallway activity is also quite loud within the room.

Second, the wifi signal is pretty anemic. We were at the end of the hall and didn't even see the wifi signal (on brand new Samsung phones). Using it restricted us to the lobby and dining area.

Third, our room was quite cold when we arrived. The radiators were off. Nor was there a duvet on the bed. It was remedied but we got the impression that we were being annoying by asking. In addition, we left the heat on when we left to explore, and it was turned off in our absence. So, we returned to a cold room. If that's a policy, fine, say so, but when you have been blowing around in the hills, it is kind of nice to not sit and wait for the room to warm up on your return.

Fourth, and most importantly, the dinner in the restaurant is insanely priced relative to the quality and quantity of food. We ate there three nights. My wife had salmon that was overcooked. Potatoes? 8k. For two potatoes. And nothing special. Lamb? 32k and a small fatty portion (though it included potatoes). A very small portion of sautéed veggies? 8k. That's lot of money for probably 100 pesos worth of veggies.

As someone who has run a few successful businesses, I understand that they aren't running a charity. But price should be correlated to quality, and that wasn't the case here.

Initially, I thought it was normal for the area. But on our final night we ate at a hotel, inside the park, overlooking a beautiful lagoon and mountain, and each had two courses with a final bill of a nearly identical amount. And the food was lovely.

It's not especially fun to write a critical review, but if no one says anything,...