Explora Torres del Paine Patagonia

Explora has a wonderful location! You almost don’t need to hike: the panorama from the hotel is magnificent! The hotel offers variety of guided hikes and tours (included in the price - which is not cheap…), half-day, full day and overland. And the staff is so nice and friendly and careful! It was hard to leave…

Do you know the famous story? Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes tells the tale of a ruler so eager to appear refined that he is persuaded by some con men that he is wearing magnificent garments, visible only to those of good taste and intelligence. No one - neither his advisors nor his subjects - dares to question what they see, for fear of appearing foolish or unworthy, until a small child gently points out the obvious truth: there are no clothes at all, and the Emperor is parading around totally naked. The experience at Explora Torres del Paine brought that story to my mind. Surrounded by glowing reviews, polished imagery, and an ultra-premium price, it feels almost impolite to question the reality. Yet once the layers of expectation are set aside, the offering itself feels far more modest than the reputation suggests, leaving one quietly wondering how the illusion became so widely accepted. We spent 4 nights on a $3,440 per night cash rate, in a Cordillera Paine room. That’s $3,440 per night. That’s US dollars. OK, now that we have this established, let’s talk. Everything in this review will be under the prism of the price paid. Location 5/5: The only thing that is excellent about Explora Torres del Paine. There are only 4 main hotels + 1 glamping camp actually within Torres del Paine National Park itself, and Explora has a front row view of the Pehoe Lake and the mountain range behind it. By staying here you save 2 + 2 hours driving vs. staying in Puerto Natales and driving to the park every day. And if you pay extra (!!) for a room with a view, you may wake up to some incredible views daily, weather permitting. I’ll give them this: the location is hard to beat. Cleanliness 4/5: No issues here. The room was kept clean, although its current state demands refurbishment and renovation, at the least. Service 2/5: Here I’m not talking about the guides, but the rest of the staff. The service is overly friendly and too casual, and lagging at many times. Like when the restaurant gets busy – and sometimes it gets full and you need to wait for a table – service is very slow, it might take 20 minutes between the clearing of the starter and the arrival of the main course. It feels like the place is understaffed when it comes to the dining experience, which is inexcusable at this price. The service overall felt like the service you get at a mom and pop B&B in a village, where the whole family is working and trying their best, and it’s warm and fuzzy... But not at this price… At this price service should be 5 star. And it’s not. Food 2/5: Where do I start… Breakfast: the buffet is very limited and feels like a 3 star. The made to order options are limited too. Lunch and Dinner: 3 options for starters and 3 for mains. If you’re not a meat eater sometimes you have only one option. In the name of sustainability and food waste? I’m in, but not when I’m paying this kind of money. Also, what’s with the portions? Are you trying to help everyone lose weight? On the last evening, I had some hospital grade pasta with tomato sauce, and I literally ate it in three normal mouthfuls, and that was the main dish! The execution of the food is hit and miss too, sometimes very good, sometime meh. Overall, unimpressed to say the least. When someone is paying this kind of money, and has zero options for food elsewhere, you better excel at your dining offering. Room 1/5: This is the worst part. Unless you have a lake facing view and sit at the window and watch the view all the time while you are in the room, you will notice that the room is small (28sq.m.), outdated, and feels like a room at a motel in a highway somewhere in rural America. No TV, of course, and internet at 5Mbps… In 2026, 5 Mbps. And please don’t tell me it helps us plug out, because at Explora El Chalten the internet clocked at 150Mbps… The absolute worst is the tiny bathroom. Only one person fits at a time. The bathtub is slippery and there’s no handheld shower. The toilet and bathtub are misaligned, so when you sit to poop your right leg is pushing against the bathtub. OK, the bed is super big and comfy, that’s one good thing. But at $3,440 per night, this room doesn’t just need renovation, it needs tearing down and making 2 new rooms of every 3 existing ones, from scratch. They should hire the designer of El Chalten, much nicer rooms there. Common areas 2/5: Nothing special. The bar area is dark and very small. The common living area has a great view but fills up fast. And whose idea was to have the Spa (again, nothing special) so far from the main building? I only imagine what it feels like to have to walk there in the winter… The common areas are misaligned with the pricing, as are most things here. Activities 4/5: This is another area where Explora delivers. The guides are all great and very knowledgeable, and the included available activities are plentiful and very well organized and executed, including hiking, climbing, horseback riding, mountaineering, etc. The issue is that most of these activities can be had by paying a private company about $1,000 per day, at most, including transport and a guide and a packed lunch. So, am I paying $2,440 for room and board and location? Nah… Basically, if you’re not planning to be out doing some activity all day, either 2 Half Day activities or a Full Day one, every day, non stop, until you drop, why are you even coming here? Value for Money 1/5: Absolutely none. At half of what I paid I’d say that the place is expensive. At this price it simply does not make any sense, unless burning money is a hobby for you. For $1,000 per day you can book a private guided activity similar to what Explora offers. For $600 per night you can stay at another hotel in the area, with probably better rooms. So, the rest of the amount to $3,440 is for food and location? No, it’s for the Explora brand. Which loops me back to the Emperor’s New Clothes story…. Bonus points for sustainable practices: I’m sorry, but as a B Corp not having any Wind or Solar electricity generation in 2026 at a location like this one is inexcusable. No bonus here… • Location (10%) 5/5 • Cleanliness (5%) 4/5 • Service (10%) 2/5 • Food (15%) 2/5 • Room (15%) 1/5 • Common Areas (5%) 2/5 • Activities (15%) 4/5 • Value for Money (25%) 1/5 • Bonus points for sustainable practices: N/A • TOTAL: 2.3 / 5 = 2/5

Our stay at Explora Torres del Paine in September 2025 was nothing short of extraordinary. We were fortunate to have sunny, beautiful weather, which made an already spectacular setting even more unforgettable. We stayed in a suite with stunning views overlooking the lake and the Torres del Paine massif — truly postcard-perfect from sunrise to sunset. The room was spacious, serene, and thoughtfully designed to immerse you in the surrounding landscape. The all-inclusive concept at Explora is exceptionally well executed. Breakfast, lunch, bar snacks, premium liquors, and dinner were all included, with food and wine flowing freely and consistently at a high standard. Meals felt nourishing and well considered rather than routine, adding to the sense of ease throughout the stay. The guided excursions are a major highlight and where Explora truly sets itself apart. The hiking program offers an impressive range of options and difficulty levels, making it accessible for all fitness levels. The guides were outstanding — friendly, deeply knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about the park. Even though the property feels dated, what truly makes Explora worth the price is the depth and quality of the experiences. Horseback riding followed by a picnic at the ranch was a standout and felt like another level of travel altogether — immersive, beautifully executed, and something that would be difficult to replicate independently. Explora delivers a seamless blend of adventure, comfort, and understated luxury in one of the most breathtaking places on earth. An unforgettable experience and a property we would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone visiting Patagonia.

Overall beyond my expectations. Visiting Torres Del Paine and hiking to the base of the towers was a lifetime goal. The view from the room was absolutely fantastic. Activities are highly encouraged and guides are extremely helpful. The staff were so nice and took care of me. They made a great effort to be sure my goals for hiking, viewing and landscape appreciation and photography were addressed. I don’t know how my experience could have been any more amazing than it was.

Explora TDP management responded poorly to an outbreak of highly contagious stomach flu (Norovirus?) which spread to numerous guests and staff during our 5 day stay a month ago. Little was communicated or investigated, and contact among guests and staff, and food service, appeared unchanged, furthering the spread in my opinion. The person apparently in charge from December 15 to 17 ignored us during my wife's illness, and attempted to shake our hands at departure -- a very inappropriate virus risk gesture. Our five day stay was interrupted for two days and given the cost of accommodation I was very disappointed with management's handling of the outbreak, and my written feedback to Explora was ignored.