Mirador a los Andes

Miguel is very attentive to what you need. The cabins are comfortable, well equipped, and nicely heated in winter. Excellent place for families.

The setting is the standout, with an incredible, front-row view of the Andes that feels truly unique. The place works for resting, but our stay wasn't fully satisfying. We didn't feel the place itself won us over, and in our opinion the cleanliness wasn't up to standard. It's a shame with such unbeatable surroundings, because cleanliness needs attention for the stay to feel complete.

The location and view are really good, and it's cheap, but the place needs maintenance. There were weeds, thistles, and long grass everywhere. The bathroom was filthy when I arrived, so I had to clean it myself, and the walls and doors were stained. It's a shame, because these things could be improved.

We went as a couple at the end of May and booked the Mercedario cabin for eight nights. We were so disappointed that we cut the stay short. The good parts first: the view is amazing. We slept with the window open so we could wake up to the mountains. The wood stove was lovely, and the shower had nice hot water, which you really need in cold Barreal nights. With a sheet and comforter, we weren't cold. The hygiene was disastrous. Grease was splattered around the kitchen, and the walls, windows, and tiles were dirty. Cleaning was supposed to happen every three days, but nobody came before or during our stay. They didn't even leave a little bleach so we could clean ourselves. There were about 7-12 dogs that seemed to belong to the neighbor. They weren't dangerous, but at night they'd bark at any hour and wreck our sleep. Adrian's service felt like the least effort possible. He wasn't there when we arrived or when we left, and didn't even ask when we were coming. When we asked for firewood, he just said no, without offering a place to get any or to sell us some. The kitchen was missing utensils, and since most guests stay only a few days, it would be nice to have at least salt and oil. The stovetop sits below the water heater connections, which were covered in grease and dust, making it unpleasant and a bit dangerous. The mattresses are soft, which is down to taste, but sag a little in the middle. The cabin also feels like it lacks care. Some tiles weren't grouted, there was a hole instead of a grate in the shower drain, and work like replacing the roller blinds left marks that hadn't even been filled in. Miguel, the owner, lives far away and hired managers he trusts, but they don't seem to know how to take responsibility for serving tourists. We told Miguel about our experience and he was very receptive, but his absence is noticeable. Barreal is beautiful, though not very tourist friendly, and it shows. We still enjoyed it, and most of the people who treated us well were from other provinces.