Explora Patagonia Hotel Salto Chico

Our family stayed at Explora Torres del Paine for 4 nights and we couldn't fault anything in the whole experience. Each single member of staff provides flawless service. The hotel manager, Marisol, is attentive and kind and makes sure that the guests' needs are addressed even before they are expressed! The waiters, cleaning staff, drivers and guides are all welcoming, friendly and professional. ||We enjoyed all the meals we had, they were all plentiful, fresh, healthy and tasty. Breakfast was a beautiful spread of healthy food every morning. And the view over the lake and the mountains in the dining room is spectacular. ||Our children (9 and 7 years old) were made to feel very welcome and enjoyed every minute of their stay. The hotel staff went above and beyond to assist us when both myself and my husband fell ill with a virus, making special tea and soups for us. ||Every excursion was memorable and we even managed to spot a puma walking across the snow.||The spa area is very tranquil and again offers wonderful views. The rooms are extremely comfortable and have all the amenities you may wish for. ||Explora Torres del Paine comes at a premium price but you get what you pay for. We highly recommend staying at this hotel when visiting the national park.

Extraordinary lodge. The service was first rate, the staff was friendly and attentive. Wonderful food. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and spent time getting to know the people in their groups. The rooms, designed for resting and not hanging out, were so comfortable (don't miss the huge jetted tub)--there were windows in the wall between the bathroom and bedroom so you could see the stunning views wherever you are. They provided hiking poles and microspikes whenever needed, as well as snacks and lunches (for all day hikes). It was the perfect setting for adventures with all kinds of people. Truly a first-rate experience.

Breath-taking location, excellent service (staff is as good as it gets), and an abundance of outdoor activities that greatly enhanced the beauty of the region. The room was impeccable, spacious and had an absolutely amazing view. The food for breakfast, lunch and dinner was top-notch. The spa was very enjoyable and we took advantage of jumping into the cold river to help with our muscle recovery after activities. Lastly, the atmosphere created by the staff and other guests provided a very pleasant experience, whether during excursions, meals, when just sitting around and enjoying the view, or at the bar. AAA+++

My wife and I stayed at two Explora locations during our recent trip to Chile. We really enjoyed our time at the Atacama location and we were super excited about Torres del Paine. This is the crown jewel in the Explora collection and for good reason: it’s absolutely gorgeous, the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. We built our entire vacation around this hotel. ||||Unfortunately, we had a very bad experience at Explora Torres del Paine. Within 48 hours of arriving, my husband and I both got the stomach bug and had to miss 36 hours of our vacation because we were so sick. At first, we thought it was bad luck, but later learned that at least 50% of the guests staying at the hotel with us had the stomach bug too. Not only was Explora doing nothing to help warn guests or slow the spread, we learned from the Explora staff that virus had been circulating for weeks and that the staff had already all had it. We thought of many things Explora could have tried to help with the situation (I.e. encouraging people to isolate in their rooms and not go on excursions together, using cleaning products that were stronger and would kill the germs, etc.) but Explora didn’t do any of that. In fact, all of the guests continued to share the same food and drinks from the buffet, were packed into vans together, and we were even encouraged to all drink ‘mate’ together from the same cup. |||| On our last morning, we met with the manager and explained that we wanted a partial refund and he agreed and said he would be in touch. Well, we never heard from them again, despite our repeated attempts to follow up with them once we were home. I honestly can’t believe how much money we paid and the experience we had, and it makes me so upset thinking about it. I really hope they’ve gotten the situation under control now, but I won’t be staying at any Exploras again in the future.

I was there last week with a group of friends and let me tell you, it was EPIC!||The hotel per se it's AMAZING, with great views from Torres del Paine and cozy spaces that make you feel at home. You can tell that the architecture was extremely well thought and tried to respect the surrounding environment.||We had the opportunity to make various explorations and our Explora guides were amazing. They had all the knowledge you can think of from the Patagonia (flora, fauna, seasons, etc.) One of our guides, Papaya, was extremely helpful all the times he accompanied us: since I have a knee injury, he helped me with tips to better walk all the explorations and was super patient and supportive. ||Explora offers adventures for all kinds of travelers: all from beginners and up to experienced hikers. ||We also had the opportunity to do two horseback rides and the horses were super docile and obedient. I even promised myself I would sign up for riding lessons when I came back home.||The food was unbelievable good and I liked that they used local ingredients and offered us local dishes. I cannot even tell you how much wine I drank every dinner since the selection was superb! My waiter for several nights, Xavi, was extremely helpful since I have a couple of food restrictions (gluten and dairy). He made sure I always had warm gluten free bread in my table and always offered me suggestions that would accommodate my restrictions.||All the staff was always attentive and helped me solve any issues that I had.||I am now sad to be back to reality, but I am already starting to plan my next adventure in an Explora destination. I am thinking maybe the Atacama Desert will be :)

The location is really what sold us on Explora over the other options & it didn't disappoint. Having stayed at 2 other Explora Lodges, the location, excursions & guiding were as per our previous experiences & absolutely excellent. We also loved the interaction with other other guests over a drink in the bar after hiking & enjoyed the spa even though it is a short walk from the main building. Hot tubs on the edge of the lake & a plunge into the cold lake was exhilarating. We also had good massages. One of the things we love about Explora is the friendly nature of the whole place & meeting like minded people.|Considering this is their oldest lodge at nearly 30 years i think, it has stood the test of time very well & the public areas & rooms are still comfortable & stylish. |The position on the lake allows for a couple of legs of the W hike to be accessed directly by the hotel's own boat meaning you never have long vehicle transfers to access the best hiking here.|The only real disappointment was as others have said, the food which really was very poor on a number of levels. Whilst I appreciate the location is very remote that is not an acceptable excuse for what was offered. Breakfast was almost passable once we discovered they would in fact give us a fried egg on request rather than whatever the dish of the day was. Wait times for eggs & coffee could vary enormously & they need to offer an earlier breakfast for those departing on 7.15 or 7.30 am excursions as 7am is really not time enough to get a decent breakfast in before a big hike.|Packed lunches were pretty good with an option of filled rolls or a canister with a grain, rice or pasta salad. We only had the buffet on our arrival day which was quite acceptable if not amazing. |The traditional Barbecue at the Estancia was excellent although possibly the time frame a bit too long as we spent over 2hrs there & was a bit too long but fun nevertheless. |Post hiking & in the bar always was cheese (usually with no crackers) which was a bit repetitive - a bit of variety would have been nice & crackers with the cheese would have improved this. Also post hike the driver always seemed to offer beer or red wine with the cheese. Maybe some white wine would have been appropriate but I went with the beer as thirst quenching|Dinners were the real disappointment. I won't repeat what others have said but hopefully due to the comments on here & directly to management this will have been rectified as our previous experiences on Easter Island & in the Sacred Valley have been excellent in terms of food.|The transfer to Punta Arenas by Explora threw up a lovely surprise with a great lunch stop at a little roadhouse on a very windswept plain. Delicious, friendly & quite unexpected!|My only other comment was that for a lodge that prides itself on being high end, the manager could have played a bit of a 'host 'role as we never really met him till the last day. I was told on booking that as returning Explora guests, they were unable to offer us a the usual discount as was Peak time but would upgrade our room. This didn't happen & I mentioned it to reception on the first day & no one ever reached out to me (I realised they were full over Christmas but some recognition of my comment would have been appropriate)|Overall we still had a great experience & assuming the food is sorted out I would absolutely recommend this place

Returning to Explora for my second visit, this time at Torres del Paine, after an unforgettable stay in Atacama. And let me tell you, it has been nothing short of extraordinary!||The awe-inspiring wilderness of Patagonia was an experience beyond compare. The views from the hotel, just in front of the Paine Massif with its ever-changing contrasts, are simply incomparable.||As a solo traveler, I was amazed by every aspect of this experience—the meticulous attention to detail, the professionalism of the staff, and the sense of community among like-minded travelers made me feel completely at home in such a remote location like Patagonia.||I wished I could have stayed longer. If you ever get the chance to explore South America with Explora—make it happen! It's an experience that will stay with you forever.

Explora sets the bar for exploratory travel married with unrivaled service and hospitality.||PEOPLE: From the moment they picked us up at the airport, we felt taken care of, as their people are one of the key pieces of this experience. Their team is not only welcoming but knowledgeable of their craft, from the guides to the chef to the manager of the operation, Explora only works with the best.||ARCHITECTURE: The hotel was built with comfort in mind with the long halls engulfed in natural light, neutral tones in the rooms and the common area, and the unencumbered views of the towers from every room. ||SETTING: Look at the photos - should speak for themselves. Nowhere in the world matches this setting. Good choice of location Explora!||EXPLORATION: I loved each of our guides. Explora trains all of its guides and only hires the best to go through its rigorous training program. Every afternoon you meet with their guides to plan your adventure the next day. These explorations go from shorter nature hikes to mountain traverses to glacial adventures, there is something for everyone.||SERVICES: We were there for business, but they made our trip feel like a vacation. On our days off from traveling around the park and visiting their Debut Conservation Reserve for work, we spent our time relaxing in the spa, drinking Calafate sours, and indulging in the menu (which changes every day mind you).||Thank you, Explora for allowing us to spend time with you in Torres del Paine. We came back feeling not only rested but more knowledgeable and grateful for the work you are doing to protect this landscape!||Make sure to check out Explora's debut Conservation Reserve at Torres del Paine to learn how you can help Explora in its efforts to protect the landscapes that make each guest experience not only memorable but impactful.