Remota
"The pretty Patagonian fishing village of Puerto Natales is isolated from the rest of Chile by remote fjords, canals and inlets that jut inland almost to the country’s eastern frontier. The port fronts Last Hope Sound, its skies whirl with skuas, petrels and albatrosses, while 75 miles inland lie the glacier-riven peaks of Torres del Paine national park. Amid this ode to nature, Remota hits the first-time visitor as a shock. Iconoclastic Chilean architect Germán del Sol set out to create a structure that provokes powerful reactions. Threading across the lush earth in a harsh, dark band, its blackened wood-and-felt exterior echoes the basalt strata that lace the Torres del Paine massif. Weight-bearing spars are skewed off-vertically, giant ventilation shafts protrude violently, windows are cut jagged like shards of broken glass. The 72 ample rooms, outfitted in slate, untreated wood, and vibrant sunflower yellow, zigzag downwards with the slope of the earth; between them, glacial boulders are strewn across an 80-yard grass courtyard. A factory-sized building houses lobby, reading rooms and restaurant (locally-caught seafood is a specialty), furnished with low-slung sofas, stone fugón fireplaces, and indigenous pottery and basketware. The impressive spa features two 10-person saunas (mirrored windows allow occupants an outside view), outdoor jacuzzis and a raised, 50-foot grey-slate infinity pool that reflects Patagonia’s constantly changing skies. When to Go: Patagonia’s weather is fickle, even in the December-February summer. Which room to book: All rooms are of equal size: opt between views of Last Hope Sound or distant Torres del Paine."
