Sent Calafate

I was jolted awake at 6am by a dreadful, overpowering sewage smell coming from the bathroom. It made me wonder if there could be a plumbing or drainage problem in the building. On the plus side, it's a charming building with a lovely lounge downstairs, about a 10-minute walk from the main street. The service was friendly enough, and they can help tourists who aren't local and don't speak Spanish.

The main problems were the service and accessibility. There's no elevator, so we had to carry all our luggage upstairs without help, which was especially difficult because I was using crutches. On the second-to-last day, we finished breakfast early and had only 15 minutes before pickup for our full-day excursion when the receptionist told us we had to check out immediately. That contradicted the booking through our agency. We had to pack and leave, and the agency confirmed the hotel had made a mistake. It ruined the start of our day. The breakfast was included but poor, with very low-quality coffee and juices, little variety, and especially few hot items. The shared-area furniture, particularly the armchairs, was old, worn, and heavily used. Our double matrimonial room was large, with a comfortable firm bed and both soft and firm pillows. It was carpeted and had a flat-screen TV, coffee maker, and mini-fridge. The spacious bathroom had a bathtub, shower gel, and shampoo. The comfortable bed and roomy bedroom were the best parts. The lack of mobility assistance, forced early checkout, and poor breakfast were major drawbacks.

The continental breakfast was delicious, and the bed was very comfortable. We didn't need air conditioning: opening the window cooled the room right down. We were there in mid September, with the buds about to open for springtime in El Cafate. The town is a 15-20 minute walk, but several steps are involved going to or coming back from town, so anyone who needs help walking will need a cab.

The staff are the hotel's best asset. Most were pleasant and helpful, though some seemed indifferent. The location is somewhat removed from the main strip, about a 10-15 minute walk down metal stairs. That might suit people coming and going from the bus station, but otherwise I'd choose somewhere else. The pleasant entrance is misleading. The hotel feels old and rundown, with dingy mustard-beige paint and bedspread, dark stains on the ceilings and carpeting, especially in the room, and very old furniture and bathroom fixtures. My toilet broke within the first hour. There's no complimentary bottled water, shower cap, or coffee-making setup in the room. Breakfast eggs are runny, and if you want them cooked differently, you have to pay. I don't understand the mixed reviews. To me, this hotel was borderline icky. It seems the corporation that owns it is penny-wise and pound-foolish, charging extra for everything. They need to make a major investment in the property.