Explora Torres del Paine Patagonia

Marvelous experience…great hotel in a indescriptible landscape. It is a must in a life time… The location and infrastructure of the hotel are amazing, but the staff that makes everything work is beyond words There is nothing that we did not enjoy or loved…

Explora is an amazing lodge in the stunningly beautiful Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia. I don't even know where to start to tell how much I loved my trip here. But I'll start with the staff-- everyone was so thoughtful, so helpful, and so kind. I can't thank them enough for helping to make my trip so wonderful. I travelled here on my own and always felt completely comfortable and welcomed. My room was lovely and the view of Torres del Paine from the window cannot be described it was so beautiful. I was also impressed by how well designed the lodge was with nice little touches such as the snack station near where you meet your guides for hikes! The food at the restaurant was very good and beautifully plated. More food, snacks and drinks were available from the bar at any time. There are many choices for the activities you can do but I chose to do 2 half day hikes every day. I loved them all and the guides were all wonderful. I was constantly amazed by their knowledge of fora, fauna, geology, history and all things Patagonia. Yes Explora is on the expensive side but all food, activities, even transport to the airport was included. I went during low season (August) which meant prices were lower and the park had very few people-- it was so magical feeling like I practically had Torres del Paine to myself. The weather was perfect (sunny, cool, and dry). This was a trip of a lifetime and it is so worth the splurge.

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.

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.

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