Uman Lodge

The spa is wrapped in quiet and nature, and the food is beautiful. There’s a peace here that stays with you after you leave. Coming back to Uman Lodge Patagonia for a second time felt like a reunion instead of a trip. The people are the heart of the place, and their warmth and authenticity make you feel at home right away. Special thanks to Santiago, whose kindness and care really capture the spirit of Uman Lodge.

The setting is stunning, and the spacious rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the Futaleufú Valley. But for a lodge at this level, the in-room amenities felt sparse: no mini fridge or espresso machine, and only very basic toiletries. We also ran into maintenance problems in the spa. It was pleasant overall, but on our first day the sauna was only around 50°C and not hot enough. The outdoor hot tub needs repairs, as many jets weren’t working properly and the head pillows were missing. The biggest letdown was the food, along with how disorganized the hotel felt. We’d read before arriving that the food was mediocre, so we ate out most days. When we tried lunch at the hotel, we ordered empanadas, prawns, and lamb with pasta, and none of it was good. The empanadas were bland and tasted like low-quality, store-bought ones, which felt unacceptable at $22. The prawns hadn’t been cleaned properly, with the intestines still in them, and were unpleasantly chewy. The lamb pasta was a little better, but still very average and wildly overpriced at $35 for just five small tortellini. The reception staff’s follow-up also felt intrusive. Before we arrived, while we were at another hotel with no phone signal, Uman Lodge contacted our emergency contact. They even emailed the hotel we were staying at to ask whether we’d have lunch or dinner at Uman Lodge. During our stay, we were asked every day if we planned to eat at the restaurant. That felt unnecessary and inappropriate. There were other signs of poor coordination. Nobody explained the facilities, services, or opening times when we arrived. We’d been told breakfast would be a buffet, but it was only about five items, with everything else to be ordered from a very limited menu. It got repetitive after the second day. On our first morning, we had told the staff the day before that one of us needed breakfast early, around 7:30 a.m., and had written down our choices. Even so, they brought two identical sets of food: two avocado toasts with poached eggs and two granolas with yogurt, although only one person was meant to eat then. The views and location are exceptional, but the limited amenities, upkeep problems, disappointing food, intrusive contact, and disorganization detracted a lot from the stay.

The infrastructure is nice and the location is outstanding. It’s a wonderful place, but a more professional approach to service, especially around the spa, could make the experience much better.

The service was warm and very attentive, and the hotel’s gorgeous setting and impressive architecture make it worth the detour from the Carretera Austral. I’d recommend it strongly. The food kept this from being a five-star stay: they aim for sophistication, but don’t quite get there.