Chile By Design

Am I still on earth? That’s the kind of bewildered reaction that can happen when you’re in Chile — a 2,700-mile-long stretch of mild to wild landscapes bracketed by the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. Just 217 miles wide at its broadest span, the country’s terrain ranges from the Atacama Desert in the north to Patagonia and the tip of Cape Horn in the south, with volcanoes, cities, islands, vine-covered valleys and glaciers scattered in between.

Where to start? Chile’s extraordinary diversity is enough to make a first-time visitor dizzy. But that’s where Chile’s luxurious, design-forward hotels come to the rescue. Designed to celebrate the country’s natural wonders and artistic heritage, they provide sophisticated basecamps where you can begin your adventures in style.

Santiago

Most travelers to Chile land in Santiago, the busy capital city with a population just shy of seven million set against the majestic backdrop of the Andes Mountains. It’s a lively place with outdoor cafes, art galleries, parks, music and museums, alongside the offices of major international banks and corporations. For a splendid view of the whole metropolis, hop aboard the funicular (built in 1925, it’s a national historic monument) and ride to the top of San Cristóbal Hill.

In the upscale El Golf neighborhood, near the skyscraper-studded financial district nicknamed “Sanhattan,” you’ll find the supremely stylish W Santiago. New York-based Tony Chi teamed up with Chilean designer Sergio Echeverría to create the 190-room hotel’s glitzy-mod interiors. The spaces resonate with a high-energy burst of Chile-inspired décor, intermingling velvet and leather textures with jolts of purple, orange, red and blue that echo the country’s vibrant landscapes. Paintings by Chilean artists, including Marcial Ossio, add to the artful mix. Tower rooms offer eye-popping city and Andes views, and some even have a private balcony. For an over-the-top treat, book the Extreme Wow Suite and have a party on your own 400-square-foot terrace. Guests can also take a dip in the hotel’s blissful rooftop pool.

When you need a snack, head to the on-site NoSo restaurant for French cuisine or sample Nikkei fusion dishes at Karai. And the real showstopper at the W Santiago is the Red2One rooftop bar. It’s a luxe vantage point to enjoy sweeping city and mountain vistas as you sip a pisco sour at sunset.

Atacama Desert

Though it may be one of the driest places in the world — annual rainfall is measured in scant millimeters, and NASA has used it as a stand-in for Mars — that doesn’t mean the Atacama Desert is devoid of life. In fact, you’ll find charming villages here, remnants of ancient cultures, vast salt flats, shimmering lagoons, surprising wildlife and clear skies perfect for star-viewing.

Two-hour daily flights from Santiago to Calama bring travelers to the desert, and then it’s a one-hour drive to the village of San Pedro de Atamaca and the elegant Tierra Atacama resort. When you arrive at Tierra’s serene desert oasis, you’ll be 7,900 feet above sea level and faced with a staggering view of 19,409-foot-tall Licancábur, the extinct volcano that towers over the Chile-Bolivia border.

Chilean architects Rodrigo Searle and Matías González designed the hotel — crafted from stone, wood, rammed earth and adobe bricks — to harmonize with the land. Gardens, pools, hammocks and firepits encourage outdoor lounging, while the resort’s interior spaces — designed by the Chilean team of Carolina Delpiano and Alexandra Edwards — are open, airy and naturally beautiful, integrating handcrafted textiles and works by local artists.

Tierra’s all-inclusive packages cover airport transfers, accommodations, dining, bar, access to the spa and pools, plus guided excursions. It’s a fabulous destination for solo travelers, couples, groups or families. Each of the 32 guest rooms has its own private terrace and some even offer an al fresco shower. Two-level family rooms sleep up to six. The culinary program showcases fresh, seasonal and locally sourced foods, featuring traditional ingredients such as quinoa and Peruvian corn. Bartenders serve Chilean wines and mix Atacama-inspired cocktails with indigenous herbs including rica-rica (their signature cocktail is the Rica-Rica Sour), pingo-pingo and copa-copa.

Guests choose from a full calendar of guided adventures, with half-day, full-day and night-time excursions. You can catch a ride to the nearby salt flats (Salar de Atacama) to visit Los Flamencos National Reserve and watch flamingos stepping through the Chaxa Lagoon as the sun sets or venture into the dark to stargaze through a powerful telescope at a nearby astronomical observatory, hop on a bike, go horseback riding, take a desert hike to see ancient petroglyphs, wander through the Valle de la Luna and even climb the Lascar Volcano. Private guided experiences are also available for an extra fee. And when you need to relax, the hotel’s sumptuous Uma Spa will be waiting with treatments incorporating Atacama Desert herbs, volcanic mud and lithium-infused salt.

Wine Country

Chilean wine producers have earned a stellar reputation in recent years, creating fine vintages from grape varieties including cabernet sauvignon, carménère, merlot, syrah, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Luckily for wine-loving travelers, Central Chile’s wine region is located within easy reach of Santiago. Drive a little over two hours south and prepare to be astonished by Millahue Valley’s stunning Vik Chile.

The Vik vineyard ranked fourth on the 2022 list of World’s Best Vineyards. But this dazzling place is more than a mere winery — the estate also includes an 11,000-acre private nature reserve and an art-filled, super-luxury retreat: Vik Chile. Designed by Chilean architect Marcelo Daglio, the hotel’s wavy, titanium and bronze roof looks as if it’s billowing in the wind.

And you might well be blown away by the Vik experience. Tiptoe around the Zen Garden and into the living room, where you can lounge among paintings by Anselm Kiefer and Chilean painter Roberto Matta. Accommodations here include 22 artist-designed suites, seven glass houses that cling to the hillside (known as Puro Vik), and the four-suite Vik Lodge that offers a shared kitchen, living and dining room. Exquisite farm-to-table meals are served at the Milla Milla and Pavilion restaurants, taking delicious advantage of the resort’s organic kitchen garden that grows over 80 kinds of vegetables.

Daily activities swirl around wine. Make your way across the dramatic plaza with its water mirror and river rock sculpture installation to arrive at Vik winery for a tour or tasting. Designed by Chilean architect Smiljan Radic, the winery roof resembles a colossal white wing hovering overhead. Elsewhere on the extensive Vik grounds, you can take a cooking class, saddle up for a horseback ride, go for a hike, mountain bike or simply soak in the cantilevered infinity pool overlooking the lake. The Wine Spa explores the polyphenol and resveratrol powers of grape seeds and vines, offering terroir-inspired wine baths, wine wraps, massages using grape seed oil and body scrubs blended with grape seeds. Cheers!

Patagonia

If Patagonia feels like the end of the earth, that’s because it very nearly is. (In fact, the highway here is actually called “Ruta del Fin del Mundo” — Route to the End of the World.) Extending south into Tierra del Fuego, this remote region is South America’s last hurrah. Blessed with magnificent scenery, subject to wild swings in weather conditions and home to fascinating animals that may have you blinking your eyes in disbelief, Patagonia is utterly amazing.

Nature’s beauty continues right inside the hotel. Delpiano and Edwards, the same team that worked their magic at Tierra Atacama, glorify the Patagonia’s landscape and heritage with their design for the guest rooms and gathering spaces here. The warmth of wood — in paneled walls and ceilings — creates the feeling of a protective shelter in a potentially harsh climate, with simple and timeless furnishings in neutral tones, sheepskin rugs, soft blankets and Chilean artwork. The mood is calm and comfortable, and the hotel’s long walls of windows make it easy to watch for wildlife or just gaze at the view.

As at other Tierra hotels, this all-inclusive resort includes airport transfers, lodging, meals and guided excursions. The chef creates contemporary Chilean dishes, taking advantage of local ingredients including Patagonian lamb sourced from surrounding ranches. At the circular bar, you can sample Chilean wines, Patagonian beers and the hotel’s signature cocktail, the Calafate Sour. The on-site Uma Spa offers a yoga studio, a full range of facials and body treatments, an indoor pool and an outdoor hot tub.

But this place is all about adventure, and there’s an overflowing bucket list of guided expeditions — from glacier exploration to National Park hiking, birdwatching, biking, kayaking and fly-fishing. Visit one of the neighboring estancias to ride horses with a gaucho along the lakeshore and then share a cup of mate afterwards. Keep a sharp eye, because you never know when you might glimpse a soaring Andean Condor, a heard of guanacos, ostrich-like rheas or maybe even a puma.

Are you still on Earth? Of course, you are. But a trip to Chile will have you looking at Earth in a whole new way.