Awasi Atacama

We had a fantastic time at Awasi Atacama. Our guides were not only experienced and fun but also went above and beyond to ensure that we had an adventure of a lifetime. They were the BEST! This is our third Awasi lodge, following stays in Patagonia a few years ago and Iaguzzi before coming to the desert. The excursions offered at Atacama are varied and outstanding. We had four full days and could have stayed another four days without running out of things to do. The lodge is lovely, the food is outstanding, and the staff is genuine and very committed to making your time memorable. I highly recommend Awasi Atacama and a visit to the desert! Just outstanding!

I stayed at this desert oasis solo for four nights and had an amazing experience. The 12 rooms here are more like villas, because they stand alone, ensuring privacy. Construction materials include adobe, local stone and thatched roofs, which emulate the area's ancient local dwellings. I stayed in a Round Room, which was spacious with a most comfortable bed, neither too hard nor too soft. The huge bathroom included a walk-in shower and a separate room for the tub. As I was there in winter, I especially liked the heated floor. Housekeeping kept the room neat and clean. If using the laundry service, the first load was free. The back patio's wall ensured that privacy continued outside. I enjoyed spending some time on the patio at night, where I never tired of gazing at the Southern Cross, shining brightly overhead. ||Menus changed nightly in the dining room with offerings that ranged |from continental cuisine to local specialties, such as guanaco. Everything was perfectly prepared and beautifully presented. Kitchen staff noted my dietary restrictions and adhered to them, ensuring that I never had to be concerned about such things as salt intake or portion size. ||Every staff member I interacted with was pleasant, helpful and knew my name. Any request that I had was responded to immediately. Javier, the driver/guide assigned to me, was professional, personable, knowledgeable, an excellent driver and possessed a good sense of humor. He met me at the airport and brought me back for my departing flight. We had a meeting after I had settled in at Awasi to discuss in detail possible excursions as well as other activities that I might want to pursue. Each guest ends up with an customized itinerary, based on individual preferences and excursions can be full-day or half-day.||This was a big-splurge stay for me, but I definitely felt that I got my money's worth.

My wife and I stayed 4 nights at Awasi Atacama in late March. We also stayed at Awasi Patagonia which is under a separate review. After flying from Patagonia to Santiago and staying a night at the excellent Le Reve hotel, we flew to Calama which is about a 2 hour plane ride. The bags came out relatively quickly and we were met by our guide Tata. The ride to the resort took about one hour and 30 minutes. Different from Patagonia, this resort is located in the the town of Atacama. You would never know if was there as it is located behind large private gates. Once you enter Awasi, you see that there are areas of couches, an open dining pavilion, and even a small pool with loungers. What makes Awasi great is the individual attention you receive from the staff and especially the guide. Tata was amazing. He listened to what our interests were and we made plans for each day. As we are still pretty active, we decided not to hang around the resort during the day and to see as much as we could physically fit in. Tata has an amazing memory of places, geology, history, and great places to stop. Each day we went a little higher in altitude without ever feeling any sickness. Tata made sure that we always had plenty of water and food. Highlights of the trip were the hike thru the cactus canyon and going to the geiser to see the sunrise at 14,000 ft. The homemade breakfast that was prepared afterward in a quiet scenic area was also amazing. Tata always had our safety and well being looked after. He was kind, patient, and always seemed interested in what we had to say or ask. The staff back at the lodge was equally great. Each person seemed to know us and great us warmly. The room itself was nicely done to fit into the desert theme. Large indoor and outdoor showers, tub, and always plenty of water provided. As I mentioned in the Patagonia post, the food is a little "foo-foo" in how it is served but that doesn't have anything to do with how it tastes. Everything was delicious. If you are looking for burgers and pizza, this is not the place for you. However, you can get that type of food in the town if so desired. We spent a brief amount of time walking thru the small town but it was mostly filled with things for tourists to buy. We did get two Andean alpaca scarves for friends. The whole trip, including both Awasi destinations were really fabulous, and both my wife and I, couldn't have asked for more. Expensive, yes, but definitely, worth every cent due to the staff and guides.

We just returned from a 5 night stay at Awasi Atacama. We loved our stay here! Our guide, Manuel, was great and so knowledgeable. The excursions were fun and interesting. We saw so many different landscapes. It is a very unique area. We liked the location of the hotel. We really enjoyed being able to walk around the town. The hotel is beautiful. Our room was always very clean and we really liked having the patio area. The common areas are so cozy with the fireplaces and were a great place to have a cocktail and play a game. The restaurant staff (Gustav, Eros, Mia, Sam, Bryan, Catalina) was excellent and so friendly. The food was the best! We have stayed at another Awasi property, and our meals here (all of them, breakfast, lunch, dinner, picnics) were all better. And it is not just what we ate each day, but trying to choose what to order was hard because everything sounded so good. I have dietary restrictions and everything was as delicious and as creative as my husband's choices with no restrictions. Truly grateful that we were able to visit this part of the world and stay at this lovely hotel.

This was our third Awasi on our trip and like the others it was fabulous. From the minute you are picked up by your guide, to the second you are dropped off you are completely looked after.||Cris was our guide on this trip and once again he worked with us to organise an itinerary that met our wishes.||The hotel was beautiful, designed for the area. The rooms very spacious and private.||As always the team were very personal, friendly and again every need looked after.||We love the thought that is put into designing a menu every evening especially for you and the food here was exceptional, as were the wine pairings. I highly recommend you try a Reekah, Reekah pisco sour. The barbecue night was excellent as was the secret menu on our last evening.||There are many activities to choose from. San Pedro is a beautiful town and certainly worth a wander. The night sky activity is wonderful, I have never had the pleasure of viewing the moon in that way. The moon valley is stunning to see, and the salt lakes are fun. Try to choose one that is not as crowded, your guide will let you know.||We had a fabulous day at the hot springs, followed by a lovely walk and a beautiful lunch with a stunning view. Our guide suggested we went a little later and we were certainly pleased we did. We experienced every activity on our own rather than with the hundreds that went for sunrise. A personal choice. You see a lot more wildlife up and personal if you go later.||The cacti valley and visits to the salt lakes and flamingo reserves were certainly fabulous. ||So much to say. We simply love Awasi, personal guiding and the care that is taken to ensure a wonderful stay.

The Awasi lodges have a reputation for being the best lodges in South America, and Awasi Atacama certainly lived up to our high expectations. |It has only a small number of casitas, and we had a smaller and a larger one connected by a covered lobby.|The main Lodge, as well as the casitas, are beautifully decorated and come with every service imaginable, down to the cleaning of shoes after the excursions. The casitas have a beautiful large separate bathroom, all with floor heating, and a private enclosed terrace. |Each room comes with a private 4x4 car plus guide, which allowed our group of 4 to mix and match activities daily. All excursions are individually tailored at arrival to align with expectations and abilities, and can be adjusted as needed. The guides are incredibly friendly and highly competent.|The restaurant service is equally individual and on a very high level, with matched menus and wine pairings to individual preferences. At all levels and departments, the team goes out of their way to exceed guest expectations.|The Awasi Atacama lodge was a highlight of our trip through South America, and we will certainly come back to this, and other Awasi lodges, in the future.

We spent 4 fabulous nights here where our high expectations were exceeded in every way. It being our second Awasi property, we knew we’d be in great hands. Our guide Osvaldo was incredible—very knowledgeable, friendly, and adept at structuring our daily hikes (going gradually higher) so that we never had altitude issues. Each day I thought he’d never top the previous day’s experience, and yet he did. The restaurant is superb—don’t miss the octopus!—and all the staff, especially Bryan and Mila, were attentive and professional. Now we’re on a mission to stay at other Awasi properties!

The Awasi Atacama is one of the best hotels in the world! Food, wine and service is impeccable. Attention to every detail. No need goes unanswered. The daily excursions are amazing, all guides are super friendly, and very knowledgeable, speak fluent English, Highly recommend the Awasi. Small hotel with 12 cottages that reflect the culture of Atacama.