The Remota was the first of a handful of top-end hotels on the outskirts of Puerto Natales. We should use the word ‘luxury’ carefully out here. This isn’t a silver-and-gold style of luxury; it’s more about unique, memorable and comfortable rooms with spectacular views, attentive service and amazing excursions.
The hotel is designed to resemble a cattle corale, and remind us of southern Patagonia’s sheep farming history. The bar, restaurant and numerous sitting areas all look out across the Last Hope Sound, at the time of my visit we had beautifully clear skies all the way out to the Balmaceda glacier and the peaks of Torres del Paine. In fact, yesterday evening I enjoyed one of the best Patagonian sunsets I’ve ever experienced from their roof.
The team here were eager to remind me that guests spend 80% of their time outside the hotel and we spent most of our time talking about their excursions. There’s an ongoing discussion amongst those in the know about the merits of a hotel that isn’t actually inside Torres del Paine National Park. Which customers are going to want to stay in place that’s 2-3 hours from the main hiking trails of the ‘W’!
My view is that properties like Remota (and nearby Singular and Altiplanico) are not an alternative to hiking in and staying in Torres del Paine, but they are a wonderful, indeed important, complement. That the ‘W Trek’ offers the region’s most iconic, photogenic and dramatic landscapes is without question; however the trails get busier each year and offer people little in the way of experiencing Patagonia’s remoteness and isolation, and understanding it’s natural, historical and cultural context.
I think this is where Remota comes in: after you’ve hiked the ‘W’, use Remota as a base to go horse-riding with a real local gaucho, fly-fish for trout on a remote river, explore a vast cave and archaeological site with an expert local guide, hike to a Patagonian peak that few tourists have ever set foot on.
Book 3-4 nights here if you want: to experience the hidden landscapes and cultural context of southern Patagonia, from a stylish and comfortable base.
