Our stay up in the Andes was incredible and much of it was thanks to the perfect stay at La Cornisa. To get to the hotel, you have to travel about an hour outside of Santiago up to Farellones, a small village and ski resort that sits about 40 km from the city. If you're specifically going to Chile to enjoy the mountains for skiing or snowboarding, I recommending staying up here vs. trekking up from Santiago every day.
We arrived at midnight and paid around $110 USD for a transfer (coordinated by the hotel) and showed up at the hotel about and hour and a half later. Claudio, our driver, was really excellent and stopped at an ATM for us to grab cash and later passed us by a 24 hour McDonald's for some much needed fries.
Once morning broke, the beauty of area is something breath-taking. The hotel sits on the side of the mountain so the views are of snow-covered mountains. The sunsets we laid witness to (from the dining area or the outdoor jacuzzi) were rich and deep with a variety of orange hues. It's like nothing I'd ever seen before.
While expensive, La Cornisa is definitely among the top tier in the Farellones area - I don't know that you'll find a more chicly rustic option. On the plus side, we never felt like the money spent wasn't worth it. The staff was really great in making us feel at home and the breakfast and dinner was included in the nightly fee. What's more, it's easy to make friends and we quickly hit it off with 2 other pairs staying at the hotel - every day after coming back around 5pm from the mountain, we'd enjoy happy hour (small platter and free wine) from the outdoor jacuzzi until dinner hit at 7pm. Then, we'd order bottle after bottle of Chilean wine.
For those looking to venture out, there's a small area with bars and restaurants. We'd end up completely spent after a day on the mountain followed by nights with our new friends, so we never felt the need to leave the hotel once we arrived. Nevertheless, it's there for those wanting to stay out late.
The only downside was the $80 USD we had to pay for transport to Valle Nevado (they offer complimentary rides to La Parva and El Cororado). I'd quickly stay here again. read more