5 Best Hotels in Southern Chilean Patagonia, Chile

With modern, comfortable rooms; a reasonably priced restaurant; and a convenient location, this is one of the better hotels in Punta Arenas. The hotel's overt policy of discouraging the use of plastics and being environmentally responsible is also praiseworthy. Prices fluctuate, but good deals are possible throughout the year; check directly with the hotel for the best rates.

This classic Punta Arenas hotel is a few blocks from the main square but offers panoramic views from its rooftop living area and restaurant. Guest rooms are comfortable, with traditional floral-print bedcovers and overstuffed chairs. There's a pleasant lounge with a fireplace, and bulging newspaper and magazine racks are situated just behind the lobby. Stick with the superior rooms, as the standard rooms are tiny; if you need two beds in a room, look elsewhere. Discounts are considerable from March through September.

Lofty wood-framed windows let lots of light into the intimate rooms, decorated in mint and deep rose. The hotel's richly toned lenga and coigüé woodwork in the lobby continues down into the popular basement pub, El Galeón. The hotel is just one block from Plaza Muñoz Gamero.

Don't let the dowdy exterior put you off—inside is a modern hotel with a good downtown location and simple but well-equipped rooms. It often fills up in high season. The hotel is named after an Austrian ethnologist who studied the native inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego. Rooms are decorated with wooden furniture, soft wool throws, and thick, dark green drapes. The exposed beams in the peak-roofed restaurant (open only for breakfast) hint at the region's frontier heritage but match the rest of the building's understated tone. In low season, prices drop by half.

This waterfront B&B comes with excellent views of the fjord, comfy and large beds draped in wool throws, and insider touring tips from the mountain-guide owner. Kau is also home to the owner's tourism agency offering customized trips, activities, and kayaking by Grey Glacier. When Hernan came from Santiago on a climbing trip and fell in love with Torres del Paine National Park, he decided to make Puerto Natales his home, and he has been making it a temporary home for travelers ever since. Kau, means "home" in the native tribal language.