I never had a view like this for lunch. Simply stunning…read more Portillo sits right in front of Inca Lagoon and before walking down to the lake, we had lunch here. It was around 12pm and it didn't get busy until later. The staff were all professional and the place had the upscale feeling too. I had a chicken breast plate. It was good, but not mind blowing. Prices are definitely higher than the city, but considering the location I understand. Service was slightly slow. The gift shop was fun, it had a lot of things- tshirts, jackets, postcard, winter gear etc.

Is this the highest lunch stop in Chile? I think it probably is…read more The hotel has a bit of a 'The Shining' vibe about it, but I'm sure that it's a very cosy haven during the winter skiing season. We only stopped in for lunch, and we were so hungry that I forgot to take a picture of the yummy grilled salmon with shrimps and gnocchi that we both had. There was an interesting and very yellow sauce on the salmon that looked suspiciously cheesy to me, but it didn't taste like it. Not great for veggie choices, but there was a quinoa burger on the menu so not a total write-off. Great view of the Inca Lagoon from the dining room too. That's some legend about the name involving an Incan princess, but I'll leave you to look that up yourself.

This was my 5th trip to Valle Nevado ski Resort. I haven't been there in several years, first…read morebecause of the poor snow and then COVID. We arrived the last week of August to packed powder conditions. It had just snowed about 10" a few days before, so conditions were excellent. The pistas (slopes) were groomed daily and the resort was not crowded at all. As a matter of fact, during the week, most of the people skiing were guests staying at the hotel and ski teams in training. There are 3 hotels at the resort and apartments and condos that are rented by private individuals. We stayed at Hotel Valle Nevado which is their best hotel. Each hotel has at least 1 restaurant serving breakfast and dinner. The rooms are clean and comfortable. Remember, you are there to ski and not stay in the room all day. In our hotel, we had a boot / ski room to put on and store our equipment. The gentleman working there was so on the ball that at the end of the day, he greeted us on the snow so we wouldn't have to carry our skis the 50 feet from the snow to the room and had our shoes placed in front of the bench for us to change into. There are 5 chairlifts there including 1 detachable quad (Andes Express). The gondola is mostly used by the day skiers getting up the mountain from the parking lot and several other surface lifts mostly Poma which are quite efficient and fast. For those who like off piste, there are plenty of choices and if you want you can hire a cat or helicopter at quite reasonable rates. The amenities such as hot tub and gym are there if you would like to partake along with limited shopping for ski and snowboard gear.

This hill has recently gotten a major upgrade to its lifts and it shows. There isnt a ton of runs…read morebut what they do have are a lot of fun. Even with limited new snow we were able to find some powder as many people on the hill were beginners and stayed only to the groomers. Out of Valle Nevado, La Parva and El Colorado in the area this is by far the best in the area.

Thank you Ikon pass for leading us here! The road up to the resort was an incredibly winding road…read morefor almost an hour. Hiring a driver familiar with this drive is a must. Once arriving, the small resort area with wide terrain (no trees), was very enjoyable. During our few days stay, the highest we could get on the mountain was via Andes Express. This was around half way to the top looking at the map. The runs were well maintained and the mountain was easy to navigate. This resort is a great way to enjoy the Andes Mountains. Mastercard gets 25% discount on rentals, food, etc so come with this card. We dined at a couple restaurants and although didn't think the buffet was all that good, the restaurant with a more chill vibe, almost sports bar like had wonderful food and service. Not the best snow coverage to start our stay, but decent conditions. Ended with almost being snowed in.

Will never step foot at Valle Nevado and will warn everyone I know not to. Started out with waiting…read moreover an hour just to try to rent ski equipment. Line was moving extremely slow due to an issue with their computer system. Since it was moving so slow, I told my wife to stay in line and I would go to purchase lift tickets. Purchased two, all day adult tickets. By the time we finally got in to get rental equipment, it was after 11am, arrived at 9:30am. They were out of ski boots in our sizes. I requested a refund of our lift tickets because we could not ski due to their lack of equipment. I was told no refunds on lift tickets. I was told I could use the tickets at a later date. I only had one day that I could ski. I reiterated that I couldn't not ski due to the fact that they ran out of equipment. I also would not have purchased the lift tickets before getting my equipment but only did so because of their system failure and I was trying to salvage as much of what was left of the day.... again because of THEIR problems. No, no refund. So, buyer beware. Not only did we lose approximately $175 usd on the lift ticket, we paid for a round trip shuttle from Santiago at approximately $80usd as well as a wasted day and a wasted trip as this was our main reason for coming to Santiago.

Our stay up in the Andes was incredible and much of it was thanks to the perfect stay at La…read moreCornisa. 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.

Skiing? Eh, something I had never done until recently…read more As a result, I needed to rent equipment as I wasn't going to buy equipment I wouldn't likely use again anytime soon. We found this place and what an adventure it was. Getting in touch with these folks was a tad tough as an American. You call them and they don't pick up. Fortunately they have a WhatsApp account and from there I was able to speak to Sandra, who was very helpful and nice. They stay open pretty late by Chilean standards. Every day until 8 PM. Have to say going there was pretty enjoyable as 1) They have parking up front (something not common in Santiago) and 2) The staff was warm and welcoming. I will say this though - bring a Spanish speaker with you. They have signs outside showing English and Portuguese as possibilities of what they speak, but I'm to this day unsure if that's in relation to the ski resorts they provide supplies for or they themselves actually speak it. I'm inclined to say the ski resorts as their English at least was practically nonexistent. Even as a Spanish speaker though, I'd recommend looking up some of their terminology. I say this as even speaking English (my more dominant language), I didn't know what exactly to ask for, and doing so in Spanish was just worse. It's not every day language. How the heck was I supposed to know that ski poles are just that? Ski poles? I seriously overthought that one given all the things we rented. At any rate, they'll make you feel like family. Natalia and Ernesto took great care of us, even to the point of remembering us days later when we returned the equipment. Recommend the shop for its in-person customer service, but do seriously have some patience in contacting them. They don't ever pick up their phone!

Closed...almost wasted a whole day because they have no answering machine or notification on the…read morewebsite stating that they are CLOSED Cerrada...yo casi perdido un día entero porque no tienen contestador automático o notificación en la página web que indica que están CERRADO

We loved our stay at Matilda's hotel. The incredible building, super cool decorations, and gorgeous…read moreoutdoor space made this a wonderful experience. We would absolutely stay here again!

Stately old mansion, a 20-minute walk from Plaza de Armas, with comfortable rooms, good breakfast,…read moreand a very courteous staff. Reviews on other sites complain of "no A/C", but our room, on the 3rd floor, was fully air conditioned. (My one tip, though, would be to try for a room on the 2nd floor -- because there is no lift -- and after a day of walking around town, especially in the summer heat, that 2nd flight of stairs is brutal.) There is also free parking behind a locked gate, if you have a car. At first glance, the neighborhood seems a bit run-down and questionable, what with the double-gate security and all, but walk around the corner behind the hotel and you're in the Barrio de Brasil, a great neighborhood with families at play in the park, and a lively restaurant and bar scene. A block the other way are 2 great, quirky restaurants, Ocean Pacific and Los Vikingos (see my separate reviews of both). So, while you're not right downtown, you're a short walk away (or a short cab or Uber ride -- both are readily available), and there's no particular advantage in staying in Providencia or Bella Vista anyway, especially if you have a car. And if you're planning day trips to the wineries or ski areas or Valparaiso or Isla Negra (since there's not much to keep you in Santiago), you're a couple of blocks from the highway, which makes getting out of town much faster and less aggravating. In all, a good choice at a reasonable price. Recommended.

THIS HOTEL IS CLOSED! Some sites still take bookings for it however the hotel has been closed for…read moresome time! It was lovely when it was open though! Book another similarly lovely hotel in barrio bellavista or lastarria.

I travel a ton but I never tire of the hunt for a terrific hotel, the sort of place that makes you…read morefeel like you're temporarily local even though you're many thousands of miles away from home. For months I had my eye on the Aubrey in Santiago, Chile. From the pictures it seemed to be an unpretentious rustic retreat with plenty of good design sense in a prime location. I loved the look of the pool (though I knew I was unlikely to make use of it since I was visiting in winter) and the piano lounge where they enticed me with the promise of complimentary Chilean pisco sours for hotel guests (I love little extras). When I arrived last month for a one night stay the Aubrey showed itself to be just exactly what I was after. The entire staff is super nice, yet also relaxed. The folks at breakfast are some seriously cheerful people (especially at such early hours) and will whip you up toast and eggs with all manner of accoutrements: avocado, tomato, mushroom, bacon. There's also tea, coffee, cake, fruit, meats, cheeses and cereals. And best of all, this breakfast of champions is included in the room rate (love that)! The Aubrey is well located in the culturally dense neighborhood that is Bellavista. Here you'll find no shortage of restaurants and when you're not eating, you can visit La Chascona, Pablo Neruda's famous home, or climb up to the top of San Cristóbal Hill to take in the view. I came back again this month for a longer stay and got severely delayed on my way. The kind folks at the Aubrey rescheduled my transfer from the airport and welcomed me warmly when I finally arrived. We hired the piano lounge for two days of a media tour and were accommodated handsomely. When I showed up sick on the second day and said I was cold they brought it a fire (I kid you not) to warm me up. They also made me a teapot full of hot toddy which helped me power through. In sum, if you're coming to Santiago and want to stay in an intimate boutique hotel in a bohemian neighborhood the Aubrey is it. NOTES FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS - The wifi works well (and there's just one password for all of your devices). - Power outlets are not conveniently placed in rooms (mildly annoying). - Cabs are fairly easy to get nearby; airport transfer to the hotel is reliable (this is a good option if you've never been to Santiago). - It can be loud, if you're a really light sleeper the ambient neighborhood noise may be problematic.

Have you ever seen that enormous double decker English style bus driving through Santiago with lots…read moreof tourist on bored? Yep that's Turistik giving one of their Santiago City tours. Turistik offers several tours to Valparaiso / Vina del Mar, Santa Rita Vineyard and Conche y Toro, to name a few. One of the great things about Turistik is they offer a variety of half day tours if you don't want the full blown day touring around. Their prices are super competitive compared to the other larger tour companies in Chile. They also offer tours in Spanish, English, AND Portuguese. In fact this is one of the only companies that guarantee Portuguese as a language option. You can schedule tours through their online reservation system or visit their office located in Patio Bellavista. The only down side about Turistik is that for the majority of their tours you have to go to Parque Arauco for pick up. For many tourists this is really inconvenient as their is not a direct metro line that takes you there.

Wow, that last experience with the HO HO was great. But trying to do the tour of the Andes was a…read morebad experience. Here is the deal if you are interested: you have to buy your tickets the night before. Helpful hint to Turistik: maybe consider printing that need in your information. The bus was full, so we wound up hiring a car from our local hotel. It was a few dollars more for the 4 of us, but wound up being better in the end, as we had full control over stops and timing and our driver introduced us to a wonderful restaurant in Bellavista! I'd still recommend the HOHO tour, but I would recommend this with the caution that you need to buy your tickets the day before and that you can probably find a better deal with private hire.