Great architecture and fabulous styling push some hotels a cut above the rest. For others, it’s all about location and being immersed in the cultural heritage of a place. Excellent service, cushy accommodations, and luxurious amenities all add to the experience and can make a huge difference when traveling. If you’re looking for somewhere memorable to stay, here’s a roundup of some of the coolest hotels in South America.
Hotel Click Clack, Bogota, Colombia
Hotel Click Clack is proof that you don’t need bottomless pockets to stay somewhere cool. This trendy boutique hotel is well worth its affordable room rates. Situated in the Parque de la 93 district of the Colombian capital, it has a funky urban-industrial vibe. The exterior looks like a series of stacked boxes, while inside clever design touches and thoughtfully curated décor pieces elevate it from a standard city hotel. Opt for a Medium room to take advantage of the views of the hotel’s vertical garden, or splurge on an XL suite for extra space and floor-to-ceiling windows that maximize the city views. There’s a sister hotel in Medellin worth checking out as well.
Skylodge Adventure Suites, Urubamba Valley, Peru
Sleep out under the stars in style. The Skylodge Adventure Suites are suspended high on a cliff face overlooking the majestic Urubamba valley. Robust yet transparent, you’ll need a good tolerance for heights to fully appreciate the spectacular outlook from these dangling Perspex and aluminum pods. On arrival, they’ll kit you out with a harness and helmet to tackle the vertiginous via ferrata route that enables you to reach your accommodation. Meanwhile, checkout involves an adrenaline rush of a different kind – a thrilling zipline ride that delivers you back down to the valley floor.
Hotel de Sal Luna Salada, Uyuni, Bolivia
Experience Bolivia’s famous Salar de Uyuni in style at the Hotel de Sal Luna Salada, which looks out over the world’s largest salt flat. This place has been constructed in an extraordinary way, built out of blocks of salt. You’ll walk on salt floors, sleep on a salt bed and relax on salt sofas – though fortunately there are plenty of rugs, cushions, and throws to ensure you’re always comfortable, and add a splash of color to an otherwise stark interior. It’s the ideal place to stay after a tour of the salt flats. As the setting sun casts a coral-pink glow over the white landscape, you’ll experience one of the most breathtaking views in South America from your own hotel room.
Hotel Unique, São Paulo, Brazil
If you’ve got it, flaunt it – and why not do so at this outrageously bold hotel in Brazil’s largest city. Shaped like a ship, Hotel Unique sits close to Ibirapuera Park. Peer through your porthole to enjoy stellar views of the park with its city skyline backdrop. Drag yourself away to one of the inviting velvet chairs in the sophisticated lobby library. Later, enjoy a cocktail beside the sleek rooftop pool, which is even better after dark thanks to its pepper-red lighting. A second pool inside is equally bright and colorful, but this one also boasts water slides for grown-ups. Embracing your inner child has never been this cool.
Tierra Patagonia, near Torres del Paine, Chile
Sustainability and wellness are a big deal at Tierra Patagonia. Connect with nature at this luxurious eco-lodge which overlooks the breathtaking massif of the Torres del Paine National Park. It perfectly complements the wild, unspoiled landscape in which it sits. Local materials feature heavily in its design, from the stone that anchors it to the ground to the weathered lenga wood used in its cladding. Oversized picture windows bring the outdoors in, meaning you never lose sight of that jaw-dropping view even when you step inside.
Mashpi Lodge, Mashpi Reserve, Ecuador
As cool hideaways go, this Ecuadorean gem takes some beating. Located within easy reach of the capital Quito, yet surrounded by dense cloud forest, Mashpi Lodge is the ideal place to retreat. Panoramic views of the surrounding reserve can be enjoyed thanks to a lofty plateau location. Sleep immersed in nature, whether in a room nestled beside the forest floor or facing the canopy. The immediate vicinity of the hotel boasts a plethora of wildlife, with hundreds of types of birds, frogs, dragonflies, and myriad other species to discover on nature hikes and gondola rides.
Mio Buenos Aires, Argentina
Argentina isn’t short of cool hotels. One of the best is the Mio Buenos Aires, whose owners set about bringing a little of Mendoza’s wine culture to the country’s capital. Fourth-generation wine-makers, these passionate oenophiles maintain an impressive wine cellar on site and will happily share their collection of books on viticulture with interested guests. Look closely at the hotel’s doors, which were crafted from vintage oak wine barrels. The tub in each room was once a fallen calden tree. They’re the work of artist Mario Dasso, and each one is unique. Run yourself a bubble bath, pour yourself a glass of Malbec and relax.
