Green & Chic | Hotel de Larache, Atacama Desert, Chile

By Dian Hasan | July 8, 2010

The Cordillera of the Andes, Easter Island and its mysterious statues, the Vina del Mar, the Chile French Riviera, so many reasons that make Chile a fascinating land. A country where the feeling of freedom is everywhere, through landscapes that vary from one extreme to another depending on the region. In the Atacama Desert on the border of Bolivia and Peru, is a hotel where luxury is synonymous with nature and local customs. Hotel de Larache, 50 rooms and suites, is located in one of the most surprising places on earth.

Nestled in the heart of an oasis of 17 hectares in northern Chile, the Hotel de Larache is a continuity of the architecture of nature. Open to the outside, we feel the omnipresent force of nature: the furniture is in raw wood, tree trunks serve as beams and colors of fabrics echo the plants and land.

As a counterpoint to the rusticity, the hotel offers all the comforts of luxury hotels in major cities: room service, bar, library, baby-sitters, no less than four pools and an art gallery. The tours organized by the hotel are also part of the assets of the hotel to discover on horseback the Atacama Desert, its archaeological discoveries, its fauna and flora.

This is a definite luxe in the rough.

Baobab & Wet Volcanoes make a unique Eco-Lodge couple ~ Chile

When Chilean architect Rodrigo Verdugo ventured into the design of two Eco Loges in Chile’s Huilo Huilo Private Natural Reserve, he was set to take his imagination to new heights. While La Montaña Mágica (The Magic Mountain) Hotel was inspired by an erupting volcano, with cascading water replacing the fire and amber, the idea for the second lodge, Baobab Hotel was probably drawn from a bee-hive, or a snail’s shell.

A drenching eco hotel experience ~ La Montaña Mágica, Chile

Tree houses as hotels are certainly not a new concept, but La Montaña Mágica (The Magic Mountain) Hotel is not just another hotel. Located within the Huilo Huilo Private Natural Reserve, Chile, it is without a doubt one of most unique hotels in South America. This whimsical eco-lodge is shaped like a volcano and complete with every modern comfort, and features cascading water that covers the exterior, giving it a fairy-tale like look. Makes you imagine encountering some character out of Lord of the Rings saga.

Sleek & Chic ~ Indigo, Patagonia, Chile

Time was, when travelers to Patagonia they were faced with a pretty stark choice: rough it in a tent or a hostel, or splash out five-star–style at Explora. But it seems the market has found a third way, as markets have an uncanny way of always finding that special niche: Puerto Natales, increasingly, is home to more than a few sub-luxury, supra-hostel options. The most stylish of which is, in our judgment, the Indigo Hotel & Spa.