El Morado Mountain Lodge

It’s a peaceful spot with impressive mountain views, a lovely pool and spa, and friendly, helpful people. The food was tasty and the portions were generous. A great way to get away from city life without going too far from Santiago.

The restaurant was expensive, and my husband got food poisoning from the food. The owner was shockingly rude, too. During a meal, staff told us they were underpaid, overworked, and treated badly. It seemed to us that the hotel was taking advantage of the area's lack of job opportunities. We'd booked well ahead for our wedding anniversary, hoping for a getaway near the city. Instead, our room wasn't ready when we arrived. They put us in their so-called "best room: Suite Deluxe" above the restaurant, where noise carried from early morning until late at night. The air conditioning was broken and dripped onto the rug, leaving everything damp, musty, and uncomfortable. The service was appalling. At check-in, the receptionist asked us for tips and called them a "service fee" for processing the booking. It felt completely inappropriate and unprofessional. For somewhere marketed as a SPA, the attitude to basic things was unacceptable. When we asked for spa towels, staff rudely said, "you already have towels in your room." They expected us to use ONE towel throughout our stay for both the spa and showers. We wouldn't accept that after paying their so-called "full service fee," but still had to ask for fresh towels every day. Their petty reluctance over such a basic need showed how unaccommodating they were. At nearly $300 a night, we expected decent breakfast coffee. Instead, there were cheap instant packets, and proper coffee cost extra. Breakfast was mediocre and offered only the bare minimum. The SPA was a major letdown. Despite the grand claims, only the pool, one sauna, and one hot tub worked. Everything else was broken or closed, so the advertised "luxury spa" was misleading. The weekend was meant to be relaxing, but turned into a stressful disappointment. With poor service, broken facilities, unprofessional management, and misleading advertising, we can't recommend Lodge El Morado to anyone. Save yourself the trouble and avoid it.

The restaurant staff were lovely, though the food was just okay. My steak was very ordinary, salad, vegetables, and fries all cost extra, and the fries never arrived. From our apartment there was a beautiful view, but the path to the car park ran right past it, so it felt exposed. We'd planned to enjoy the spa and pool before breakfast and leave around midday. In the morning we found they didn't open until 11.30am, so there wasn't time before we had to get on the road. We didn't feel welcome or comfortable and didn't enjoy the short visit. The location itself is beautiful, but getting there was a struggle for our small car on the steep, rocky driveway. The receptionist didn't seem glad to see us. We speak a little Spanish, enough to mostly understand her, but it was surprising that such a large hotel had no English signs or information. You can't drive up to the accommodation, so we left our suitcases in the car and carried out what we needed. The route to our apartment was a rough, stony path with zigzags.

The staff were pleasant and helpful, even with a bit of a language gap. The on-site restaurant was handy after a day riding through the mountains. My meal wasn't the best I've ever had, but it did the job. We rented motorcycles to ride through the Andes and wanted a one-night stop with great views. This lodge was just what we expected and needed, a place to sleep and enjoy the scenery. I'm really glad we stayed.