Short stay: RIO Serrano Hotel & Spa, Torres del Paine, Chile /

If you travel to Chile, you can’t ignore it; a visit to Torres del Paine National Park is a must. And here you will find the RIO Serrano Hotel & Spa, which serves as the perfect starting point to explore this majestic and extraordinarily beautiful area. What’s even better is that they have everything under one roof, so you don’t have to worry about anything.

The welcome

On arrival in Puerto Natales we were warmly greeted by one of the hotel guides who would drive us to the RIO Serrano and immediately give us a first glimpse of the region. You can also drive yourself to the hotel, but as we were only staying in Chile for a short time, we opted to use the hotel’s comfortable transfers as it allows us to maximize our time and experience there.

After a scenic 90 minute drive through beautiful scenery, we arrived at the RIO Serrano hotel & spa where check-in formalities were quickly taken care of and within minutes we were enjoying the view from our superior room.

The room

From the moment we walked into our superior room, I noticed that the giant window filled the room with light while drawing attention to the Paine Massif in the distance and the Serrano River that flows along the edge of the estate.

There is plenty of space and the large wardrobe makes it easy to store all your belongings without cluttering up the rest of the room. I loved the use of soft natural tones (which is done throughout the property), wood and local elements. This room would look boring in Las Vegas, but it ticks all the boxes here in Patagonia and the beds were some of the best I’ve slept in lately.

The bathroom

The bathroom is spacious and there is plenty of counter space to store all of your personal belongings. It’s something I often miss in other hotels, but here they definitely got it right.

There is a full size bath with a shower on top but I would have preferred they got rid of the shower curtain as I’m not a fan of that. That is of course just a detail and also a personal preference so nothing to worry about. As there is a huge spa in the hotel, some very comfortable slippers and bathrobes are provided for you to wear in your room or when going for a treatment.

The Alpaka toiletries were a very nice touch and as it is a brand that focuses on sustainability while using 100% natural and bio-based materials, it fits perfectly into the whole atmosphere of the RIO Serrano hotel.

The facilities

Exploring the area often means being very active, so to replenish those lost calories you will want to enjoy the delicious food served here. The main restaurant Kaienk, located on the first floor, will certainly not disappoint. The king crab, guanaco and tuna dishes were my personal favourites, but all guests generally raved about the gastronomy and there are options for any food preference you might have. You can also enjoy breakfast here.

No matter what meal you choose to have, the views remain as breathtaking as ever with sunrise and sunset illuminating the landscape outside in soft candy cotton colors.

There is also the bar on the ground floor serving good food at lunchtime and throughout the day. It has a beautiful terrace with the same beautiful view over the massif while enjoying the sun on your face. Don’t forget to taste some of the delicious cocktails, especially the ones where they use local ingredients to create masterpieces that can only be found in this area. The Calafate sour that had the perfect balance between the sweetness of the Calafate berries and the sourness of the limes was the perfect example of how to incorporate local delicacies into a bar menu.

The name says it all and I’ve mentioned it before, but there is indeed a wonderful spa that really sets this hotel apart from any others in the area. The spa included treatment rooms, saunas, a huge indoor pool with whirlpool, a gym, … all in all everything you need to get your body in shape or relaxed (the choice is sometimes difficult, I know). I enjoyed a deep tissue massage which re-energized my aching muscles in the most pleasurable way.

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RIO Serrano know that the views around the hotel are priceless, so they made sure to take advantage of them as much as possible, and who can blame them. All along the pool are huge windows that give you the feeling that you are swimming among the mountains. Really stunning.

Until now you would think this is the perfect place for adults thanks to the comfortable rooms, great food and drink and a spa where you can spend the whole day and still feel like you ran out of time. But don’t be fooled, the RIO Serrano welcomes younger guests with open arms. Even the little ones will be pleasantly surprised when they find that there is even a children’s club. Does that mean you have to give up the spa? Not at all, as there are even treatments where the kids are pampered along with their parents, which is a win-win situation in my books.

Opposite the reception is also The Massif, the tour desk where they offer all kinds of options to explore the Torres del Paine National Park. Some excursions require good physical health, but there are also options for those who are less mobile and still want to enjoy everything the park has to offer. I contacted them in advance and arranged everything before arriving at the hotel, which made the overall experience seamless.

Rent

When it comes to locations, there are few better options than right on the border of Torres del Paine National Park and next to the Serrano River. There is easy access to Puerto Natales airport or if you are coming (or going) from Argentina it is about a 2 hour drive to the border.

If you are driving yourself, please note that the last part of the road to the park (coming from the south) is unpaved. There is also plenty of parking so you don’t have to worry about that.

Thanks to its central location in the massif, all rooms have a fantastic view in whichever direction they face.

Other nice keys

There are lots of nice touches, from the super friendly staff to the excellent facilities, but it’s the locally inspired touches that make the difference. The perfect example was the hot Patagonian tea waiting in our room when we returned from a long, tiring but equally wonderful excursion. It felt like liquid comfort!

cost

Prices for a room start from around USD 235 on a B&B basis. The hotel also offers a great all-inclusive rate that includes all food and even drinks (yes, this also means great Calafate Sour). Those rates start around 535 USD per room.

The best bit

The RIO Serrano is a cocktail of many great things coming together in perfect harmony and that’s for the best. Having everything under one roof, being able to plan and organize your time in Patagonia the way you want, is something that cannot be taken for granted.

If I really have to point out one thing, it’s the amazing views you get from every window, whether you’re in your room, dining or enjoying the spa facilities.

The final verdict

All in all, you can’t go wrong with your stay at the RIO Serrano. It really is the perfect place to decide for yourself how you spend your time in this beautiful region of Chile.

Disclosure: Our stay was sponsored by RIO Serrano.