9 Best Hotels in Patagonia, Argentina

You can see this luxury hotel towering in the distance in front of Monte Olivia; it's one of the most extensive spa-and-resort complexes in Ushuaia and overlooks the entire bay and town from its own nature reserve out of town on the road to Cerro Castor. Your stay includes a nature walk with the hotel guide, and you can take full advantage of the stunning views from the indoor/outdoor heated pools and Jacuzzis, gym, hotel bar, and restaurant. Comfortable and spacious rooms each have tubs, complimentary (nonalcoholic) minibars, and digital controls for the temperature, lights, blackout curtains, entertainment system, and Internet. This big hotel comes with all the bells and whistles, but the atmosphere can be a bit sterile.

This charming complex of cabins and bungalows, painted a deep berry purple, is high above Ushuaia in the woods at the base of the ski lift to the Martial Glacier; each spacious room has an extremely comfortable bed and a small wooden deck with terrific views down to the Beagle Channel. The cabañas are beautiful self-contained log cabins with floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious living areas; the luxury cabins also have a Jacuzzi. A spa is housed in its own cottage, and at the Cabanas de Taza de Té Café you can enjoy sweet treats and aromatic loose teas. A small nature trail takes you through the lenga trees along the Martial River. There is, however, no complimentary shuttle service to town, so you'll need to take a $10 taxi to Ushuaia.

Jarké means "spark" in a local native language, and this B&B is a bright, electric addition to Ushuaia; the three-story lodge cantilevers down a hillside on a dead-end street in the heart of town. The building's an amalgam of alpine and Victorian styles on the outside; inside, a spacious contemporary design incorporates a glass-roofed lobby, several living rooms with great views of the waterfront, and a sunny breakfast room. Rooms have a warm color scheme, polished wood floors, peaked-roof ceilings, artisanal soaps, woven floor mats, bidets, Jacuzzi tubs, and decent views, although the windows are a little small.

In downtown Ushuaia, the Fueguino boasts all the modern amenities: a conference center; a gym; a spa; shuttle service; outgoing, professional, multilingual staff; and one of the better Wi-Fi signals in town. Rooms feature custom Italian wood furnishings, leather accents, frosted glass, blackout blinds, and brushed stainless steel in the bathrooms. The Fueguino name is branded on every trinket you can think of, from bathrobes to shoe mitts. Beds with padded headboards and California king-size mattresses are as firm as it gets. Downstairs the Komenk restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine with Patagonian influences. In the winter, the hotel basement hosts international cross-country ski teams from the Northern Hemisphere training in their off-season.

This cozy hotel 4 km (2.5 miles) from the center of town is named after the local tribe and offers a rustic mountain aesthetic. Some rooms have stunning views over the Beagle Channel and all have wrought-iron bed frames, but the decor is quite dated. The expansive lobby, second-floor restaurant, games room with billiards, and sauna are welcoming.

In the wooded foothills of the Andes, Las Hayas is slightly dated in its facilities, but the views overlooking the town and channel below still make it worth the trip. Each room features Portuguese linens, solid oak furnishings, and crisp white fabric-padded walls covered in bright one-color floral prints. A suspended glass bridge connects the hotel to the health spa, which includes a heated pool, Jacuzzi, and even a squash court. There's a good restaurant on-site, Le Martial, which prepares local Patagonian cuisine.

This adorable B&B is a honeymooners' delight, thanks to the multiple personal touches, from home-cooked cuisine to family photos on the walls. The hotel is in the Estancia Río Pipo, on a wind-battered hill 4 km (2.5 miles) west of town, in an area once inhabited by canoeist nomads, but it's now being encroached on by the expanding city. The seven bedrooms—with names such as La Coqueta and La Misión—boast large windows facing the Beagle Channel or the snow-capped Andes, with soft, luxurious beds and charming photos of old shipwrecks. A cozy living room offers a book exchange, board games, video library, and glass display tables with antique arrows, bones, and currency. The restaurant has a top-notch gourmet menu—offering such exotic fare as conejo a la cazadora (stuffed rabbit) or seafood au gratin—prepared by the owner.

From the owners of Las Hayas (just around the corner on the winding mountain road), Los Acebos is a modern hotel on a forested ridge with a commanding view over the Beagle Channel; spacious and superclean rooms feature the same iconoclastic decor as Las Hayas, including the trademark fabric-padded walls, only this time with a ’60s-style color scheme. The restaurant serves international dishes in a chic dining room with sensational views. Staff are relaxed and personable, especially with the large number of well-heeled Argentine families who base themselves here, close to the nearby ski slopes. Guests can imbibe by the lounge fireplace or in the game room.

Right on the shore of the Beagle Channel about 8 km (5 miles) west of town, this resort is in a private community with privileged beach access and a nature hike that starts right outside your room. As well as an excellent spa, they have the only private boat excursions in Ushuaia, where you can enjoy the Beagle Channel from the comfort of a small luxury boat for hotel guests only. Pay the extra cost for a higher floor, sea-view room, as the sunrise and sunset are both a real pleasure to watch from your warm bed. Another fantastic viewpoint is from the heated pool, which flows from inside to outside and has an outdoor Jacuzzi, a rare treat in this part of the world. On the relatively cheap menu of the restaurant Reinamora, you will find the standard Patagonian lamb, rainbow trout, and a delicious king crab, and the extensive breakfast even includes a glass of bubbly.