The honest review of Awasi Patagonia

Be careful with the guide situation at Awasi — ours was awful at first and nearly ruined the trip before we got him swapped out.

We were told the guide quality issues had been fixed, but in our experience that wasn't quite true yet — our first guide was a poor match and it took actively pushing for a switch before things improved. It worked out once we got a new guide, but the initial experience was rough.

We compared notes with friends who stayed at Tierra, and honestly the private guide setup at Awasi is hard to beat.

Having stayed at Awasi ourselves and heard about our friends' time at Tierra, the personalized guiding is the clear differentiator — it's the reason we'd choose Awasi again over the alternatives in the park.

Awasi is all about the lodge, the room, and the food — it's where you go to actually enjoy the scenery, not just hike your legs off.

Compared to Explora, which is really an adventure company with lodges attached and where the rooms are small, Awasi flips the priority: the villa itself, the culinary program, and the setting are the draw. It's less activity-heavy than Explora — you'll still hike, but it's not the relentless trekking focus you get elsewhere. If you want a slower, more indulgent Patagonia experience without sacrificing access to the park, this is the one.

The wood-fired hot tub was basically unusable most of our stay because of the wind — we only got to use it two out of five nights.

Beyond the tub issue, we were plenty active — I don't think there's anything Explora offers activity-wise that Awasi can't also do with its private guide model. The wind is just a real Patagonia constant that limits the fire-heated tub specifically.

Everything is included in the room rate, which I love — even laundry, which was a lifesaver on our longer trip.

We went for 4 nights and packed in as much as possible — hiking, horseback riding, and we also made time for saunas, hot tubs, and a massage. The food and drinks were great throughout, and the fact that nearly everything is bundled into the rate (aside from helicopters or seaplanes) took a lot of the friction out of planning. It felt genuinely relaxing to not be doing mental math on every extra.

This place will nickel-and-dime you way less than I expected — nearly everything is bundled into the rate.

Compared to some ultra-luxury lodges elsewhere that pile on extra costs for every little thing, Awasi really doesn't do that — the only real add-ons are things like seaplanes or helicopters if you want them. One of our team's clients wanted to go hunting for sea glass and they arranged a helicopter excursion just for that. Outside of those bespoke splurges, the core experience feels genuinely all-inclusive.

This remote hotel nails elegant design and delectable cuisine, plus the signature personalized guiding that makes it feel like the park belongs just to you.

Condé Nast Traveler·

The combination of intentional, unshowy design with an intensely personalized guiding program is what elevates this above other lodges in the area. It's an editorial consensus that matches what independent travelers keep reporting on the ground.

We weren't even hotel guests, just there for dinner, but a flat tire emergency was met with an offer of a property tour instead of actual help.

It left a genuinely poor impression of how the property handles unexpected situations outside its normal guest-service script. We understand we weren't guests with a reservation, but the mismatch between the emergency and the response was jarring.

This is a stunning, tiny property near Torres del Paine where even at full occupancy there are only around 30 guests total.

The lodge sits on a small hill just 15 miles from the park, with epic views of the towers from every villa and the main lodge itself, though it's actually 1-2 hours by car to reach trailheads because of how the land and roads are laid out. There are 14 villas total — 13 regular plus one two-bedroom master — and the exterior is refined and minimalist, blending into the landscape, while the interiors feel cozy and cabin-like, almost Nordic. What sets Awasi apart from Explora and Tierra is the combination of genuinely high-quality food and beverage with the fact that this is fundamentally a wildlife and ranch-focused experience rather than a hiking-factory.

It reminded me of the way some Amans in India price things — the room rate is one number, but every single excursion adds thousands more.

We ended up paying over 30k for what turned into just two nights after a flight got weathered out, with excursions running around 2k each and transport to get there costing thousands more on top. The place itself is great, more of a remote cottage experience, but it left a bad taste with how everything kept getting added on. Worth noting this experience contrasts with several other guests who described the pricing as genuinely all-inclusive, so it may depend on which excursions you choose.

Our private guide was the make-or-break factor and ours turned out to be phenomenal, matching every whim we threw at her.

We spent 5 nights and used the hot tub constantly — thankfully it's now piped with heated water instead of the old fire-heated system that used to get shut down by wind. My wife wanted the base of Torres hike on day one and our guide got her up early to beat the crowds without any complaint. Food was bordering on great for how remote we were, with local touches like guanaco tartare and total flexibility to order off-menu, and their all-Chilean wine list was a smart way to showcase the country.

After the scary reviews going around, we went in braced for disappointment and instead had one of the best trips of our lives.

From top to bottom, the staff and guides were extraordinary — Zaith in guest relations checked on us daily, our maître d' Francisco made every meal impeccable and even gave us recipes, and the bartenders built drinks off no menu, just our preferences. Housekeeping turned around a full laundry pile in hours instead of days. Our guides Nicolas and Jorge tailored everything to our fitness level, including a grueling 20km hike to the base of the Torres, and every staff member made a point of asking what could be improved — it felt like a team that genuinely wanted to fix any lingering issues.

The food here is Michelin quality — genuinely some of the best meals I've had anywhere, and our guide Nani could do absolutely anything.

The property is stunning, the villas are huge and spotless, and the views are unreal from every angle. Every staff member — Felipe, Jose, Jonathan, Francesca, Daniel — took great care of us and remembered small preferences without being asked. Our guide Nani planned adventures perfectly tailored to what we wanted, drove the 4x4 like nobody else, and knew the region cold; we genuinely cried saying goodbye to her.

Every one of the dozen-plus staff I interacted with was excellent, and that's not luck — that's how you know a property is run right.

There are only 15 standalone villas and mine was beautifully designed — some might call it dated if they wanted glossy opulence, but that misses the point entirely. This isn't a flashy hotel; it's intentional architecture that blends into the landscape rather than competing with it, and I could use my hot tub quietly, uninterrupted, surrounded by nothing but Patagonia. All meals were included and outstanding — thoughtful, refined, never overdone — with expertly curated wine pairings, and my guide Fernanda was energetic and knowledgeable enough to elevate the whole trip.

I'm genuinely sad to leave — I've never experienced this kind of hospitality anywhere else I've stayed.

From the airport pickup to our very last goodbye, we felt taken care of and thoroughly fed, and I learned more staff names here than at any hotel we've ever stayed. Our guide Tomás brought extra soup on hikes, tracked geological history for us, and hunted tirelessly for that elusive puma through snowy weather. What makes Awasi special is that it doesn't try to do too much — no Instagram gimmicks, no over-the-top furnishings, just fundamentals executed exceedingly well.

Our master villa had two bedrooms, an outdoor hot tub, and a real wood fireplace, and it felt like camping in the middle of nowhere but in total comfort.

Every window had a wooden shutter for the night, the beds were comfortable, and every amenity was thoughtfully provided down to bath salts and heaters in the bathroom. We saw a puma, foxes, and eagles just passing by our villa. Our guide Anto was awesome and we had a dedicated car for the entire stay — highly recommended.

We used our entire honeymoon fund on this trip and it was worth every single penny.

From check-in to check-out you're made to feel special — the lodge is exquisite, the food is amazing, and the wine and cocktails are unique and delicious. The excursions moved me to tears at times with how beautiful Torres del Paine is, and our guide Tania made every lunch in the park feel like a real conversation about life, not a scripted tour. Saying goodbye to the staff at the end felt genuinely emotional, not performative.