El Viejo Roble

Claudia, the one staff member there, was very nice and did what she could. The owner, though, was rude, dismissive, and unprofessional when I raised some concerns on arrival. I could tell he wasn’t going to take them seriously. The second night, a neighbor played extremely loud music until 3am, and people were making noise as they wandered behind our room past midnight. Getting there meant taking a very rough dirt road. When we arrived, the place looked abandoned, with grounds so neglected they seemed not to have been maintained in years. We were the only guests for two days. There was just one staff member, no restaurant service, no Wi-Fi in the room, no in-room TV, and no security. The spa, sauna, and hot tub cost extra. The pool was unheated, and hot water was scarce: it took about 10 minutes to get even lukewarm water. The pool and terrace decks had twisted, rotten boards with screws and nails sticking out, and the balcony boards were rotten and unsafe too. The place could be exceptional, but it’s been badly neglected. For what we paid and the advertised amenities that weren’t available, it felt like a complete rip-off. A very disappointing stay. I’d never recommend it or stay there again.

I found the lodge online 10-12 years ago when I had a free weekend while working about a two-hour drive away. It was summer in the off-season, so I just drove there without booking. I spent two quiet, peaceful nights at an affordable rate. After dinner, they heated the wood-fired hot tub just for me. It was about 115F, so I had to ask for it to be cooled down. Mas agua, the small stream's cool water was the manual temperature control. Ruben's mom rode a bus two hours from the coast to be the masseuse. Such a wonderful, personal experience.

The rooms were comfortable and the food was out of this world. I came with the Evo Trip crew, and both the lodge and staff were amazing. Thanks to Ruben for creating such a great place, and a shout-out to Orlando and Camila!

In shoulder season it wasn't crowded, and everything worked out well, even though we checked in around 1:30am. We booked through one of those discount sites, a Groupon-alike, and got great service. There's a fantastic hike starting at the hotel, through deep forest and lava debris, with awesome views of the Chillan volcano. Recommended.