Hotel Ohana Rapa Nui

The location worked well for us with a rental car, though it is a little outside town. Valentina and the front desk staff were excellent, and when we mentioned a couple of small issues, they sorted them out right away. Our room was spacious, clean, and comfortable, with lovely air conditioning and a bath. Breakfast was very good each morning.

The hotel feels quite upscale, and the spacious rooms have a small patio with a table and chairs overlooking the garden and pool. Staff were warm and friendly, and breakfast had a good range of cold options, plus eggs made to order. There’s a pool, a hot tub that I assume is heated, and an outdoor bar area with some kind of griddle. I didn’t try the hot tub, and the pool bar seemed to be closed. The main drawback was the lack of evening food. They apparently usually serve dinner, but not on either of our first two nights. After a full day of sightseeing, we would have happily eaten here and used the pool bar, but the outdoor area was nearly empty. We’d heard about this beforehand, so we’d picked up some food in town. Town has plenty of good places to eat, but it’s over a 30-minute walk or a short taxi ride away. We walked there early evening and back after dark, and I’d recommend taking a taxi. I’d still recommend staying here, though it feels remote and there isn’t much going on at the hotel. I’m writing this while we’re still here for tonight and tomorrow night, and expect the operators may read it.

We stayed here as part of a Chile trip that included Santiago and Rapa Nui. A local US travel agent connected us with a Chilean company for both parts of the trip, and we asked for an upscale hotel in our package. There aren’t big chains on the island, but there are several lovely places suited to a discerning traveler, as well as rustic hotels and hostels. The setting is quiet and almost rural, away from the busier parts of the island. Chickens wander around, and banana trees move in the breeze. On our first day, a couple of horses wandered onto the property and made us smile, until some local dogs chased them away. The hotel itself is beautiful, with modern construction details made to look older or more traditional. It has around 10 rooms on two levels, a pool and spa, and an outdoor patio with a large grill. We never saw the grill used. Different kinds of banana grow on the grounds, and we had them at breakfast and in dessert one night. Our room had a large shower, TV, safe, air conditioning, refrigerator, and a lovely private patio you could walk out to. The closet was small, but they happily brought extra hangers when we asked. The fridge held drinks including small bottles of sparkling wine and local beer. Prices were higher than in Santiago, as you’d expect, but still reasonable. Breakfast was part of our rate, though I don’t know whether it’s included with every booking. There were made-to-order eggs, cereal, fresh fruit, sausages, grilled vegetables, and fresh juice. It was tasty and well prepared. We had dinner at the hotel twice. They ask in advance if you plan to eat there so they can prepare the right amount. You don’t really choose the dishes, but they’ll work around allergies. Both dinners were nicely presented and had plenty of seafood. One of the younger men at reception seemed to still be learning the ropes. When we asked about cocktails, he wasn’t sure at first, but after checking with the chef he made us two good drinks. There’s no visible bar or menu, but they can make cocktails if you ask. Most staff spoke pretty good English, though knowing some Spanish made things easier. Service was good overall. I strongly recommend this as one of the nicest boutique hotels I’ve visited. It was much better than I expected, and I wouldn’t hesitate to stay again.

The pool area is really relaxing, and the hotel, food, and staff were all lovely. It’s about a 30-minute walk into town or a $6 taxi ride. The soundproofing isn’t great, so keeping the TV volume down would help. My only reason for not giving five stars is the dog that starts barking like clockwork in the early hours.