The Singular Patagonia

The more I expected, the more disappointed I was. This is the most expensive hotel in the area, but the service doesn’t justify the price. The front desk and some staff always seemed unhappy. They wouldn’t even say hello as they passed, never mind smile. The rooms are small and the view is decent, but plenty of nearby hotels have lake views too. Don’t be fooled by the pool in the photos. It’s an oversized bathtub, not for swimming, and the water was dirty, as if it hadn’t been cleaned for ages. The gym and pool are both poor. The hotel has a unique character because it was converted from an old factory, but the building wasn’t designed as a hotel and lacks many things you’d expect from a five-star property. There’s basically no real service to speak of. I chose it because of the positive reviews online and was honestly disappointed when I arrived. Unless it’s peak season and you have no other options, I strongly advise against staying here. This experience made me realize that negative reviews are often more helpful than positive ones.

The room and the scenery were the highlights for our tour group. We kept catching ourselves staring at the mountains and water for over an hour, and most of us wished we could have stayed longer. Lunch and dinner were a lot of fun too. Ceclia, Carolina, and Nicolina were attentive, knew the dishes well, handled tricky issues right away, and gave helpful wine suggestions. David at the bar also made a lasting impression by letting me try the Calafetal flavor of Astral beer. It's the most unusual bar I've ever been to, and I'll remember it for a long time. Breakfast was a letdown after those meals. The food didn't meet the standard we'd experienced at lunch and dinner, and the breakfast team wasn't as attentive. They served later groups before ours, and the coffee and egg orders took a long time. One young, slim server whose name began with N, perhaps “Noelino” or another name containing O, V, and R, came back to check our order several times. We ended up rushing to eat so we could make our appointment at the front desk in the upper area, reached by elevator-car. My group was upset and frustrated by the whole breakfast service.

My daughter and I walked 8 miles from town to visit the hotel and museum, hoping to eat or at least have a drink. We had tried to reserve by email as the website instructed, but there hadn't been time to wait for a reply. After a sunset walk, we arrived hungry and covered in mosquito bites. There didn't appear to be any guests around, yet the desk clerk said the restaurant was full. We couldn't wait, couldn't sit at the bar, and weren't allowed to look for ourselves. She didn't offer to call a cab or Uber, or send one of the idle hotel cars outside, even after we explained how far we'd walked to visit. People throughout Chile had been kind and welcoming to us, so this dismissive treatment felt especially rude and insulting. If dining is for hotel guests only, the website should say so. I have no objection to an exclusive, guest-only policy, but the lack of clear information wasted our time. I've written plenty of positive Google reviews, but this is the first negative one. I'm a travel professional and wouldn't recommend or use this hotel.

The views are spectacular, and the food and staff were both outstanding. The hotel itself is a former industrial building, renovated with beautiful taste and careful attention to detail. Its design features are breathtaking, and staying here felt unique and unforgettable. I can highly recommend The Singular Patagonia.