Hostal Alcazar

We spent five nights here. The rooms are simple, but very clean and comfortable, and the staff were friendly and flexible. Breakfast was great, and they also stored our luggage for free while we went trekking.

The breakfast was just adequate. I liked the coffee and eggs, but would skip the rest. The main problem was how much noise came through the thin walls, which made it hard to sleep. The room was spacious enough, and the bus station is convenient, but I’d look elsewhere. The bed was too short, so my feet hung over the edge, and both it and the pillow were extremely hard. I usually don’t care much about that, but this was uncomfortable. It might have bothered me less at a lower price. As it was, poor value.

The free breakfast was a letdown: just one slice of ham and cheese per guest, and the other items seemed low quality or old. You could buy fresh baked goods from their own bakery, though. We’d booked a nice room, but because of the 15% Genius discount from booking.com, they first put us in a tiny room that wasn’t shown in the photos. They said it was because of the discount, then changed the explanation to, “It is the only free room.” The view we’d booked turned out to be a brick wall and a tiny patio. After we insisted, we got a “better” room for the final night. The old lady, presumably the owner, gave us the stink eye, and the new room wasn’t in the pictures either. They had also switched off the heating, so that last night was really cold. A decent experience here will cost you a lot.

The bus terminal is very handy from here, and I’d stay again. We had a quieter night than on the main strip, even though some noise came from the adjoining room. The rooms were clean and comfortable. After our hike, the huge American hamburger was just the thing, and the food was fantastic. Staff were friendly and helped us figure out the Torres del Paine booking system and park passes, as well as recommending bus transport. The location is super convenient for the terminal.