It is springtime in southernmost Chile, and explora Patagonia is ringing in the height of the travel season with a newly renovated look. The South American adventure travel company recently put the finishing touches on an extensive renovation of Hotel Salto Chico, the lodge located in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park. The extensive project, which included enhancements and additions, involved closing the property for two months between June and August 2011 – the first time since opening in 1993 that Hotel Salto Chico hasn’t received guests.
Santiago-based architect José Cruz Ovalle, who designed explora lodges in Patagonia, Easter Island and the Atacama Desert, tapped his design expertise and familiarity with the landscape of Patagonia to makeover the hotel, which rests on the banks of the Salto Chico waterfall in full view of the Paine Massif.
Furnishings have been upgraded throughout all public spaces with new chairs, sofas and tables setting a comfortable scene. Illumination has been similarly enhanced with a new and more effective lighting system installed throughout.
The hotel spa, a.k.a., Casa de Banos del Ona, received the most extensive renovation at Hotel Salto Chico with a complete enhancement from floor to ceiling and wall-to-wall. The 4,500-square foot spa has been laid out with new Porcelain tile flooring and ceilings that tower up to 13 feet above foot level.