As I mentioned a while back on a round-up of new hotels in Latin America, Chile has really been coming on strong with new luxury hotels and resorts. It’s a testament to their strong economy and rising tourism numbers.

One of the most impressive developments has been the opening of Tierra Patagonia, sister hotel to the Tierra Atacama one that’s been open a few years. This low-slung resort is modest from a distance and blends into the landscape. Looking out from it to Torres del Paine though, you get a spectacular view.

Our contributor Jill Robinson is an experienced, you might even say jaded travel writer. She’s posted stories and hotel reviews from all over the world. But this place left her speechless.

“Wow…” I’d comment and then trail off.

“Pretty?” he’d ask, with a smirk, knowing what I was thinking. To be honest, that’s about the only vocabulary you need.

There are only 40 rooms in this luxury retreat and prices start at two grand per person for a three-day stay. This is one of those resorts where “luxury” means pampering and spa treatments, but it also means exclusivity and a view you’ll never forget. And naturally you’ll enjoy good Chilean wine with your expertly prepared meals.

See our full review of Tierra Patagonia hotel.

You don’t see a whole lot of Bentley cars cruising the streets of Mexico, Peru, Argentina, or Chile. If you stay at a St. Regis or Starwood Luxury Collection hotel in one of those countries though, you could be seeing one—from the inside.

St. Regis and Luxury Collection hotels around the world have been transitioning their fleet of in-house vehicles for guests to luxurious Bentley models, such as The Continental Flying Spur. So for your arranged airport pickup or sightseeing drive, you’ll be surrounded by elegance and the smell of fine leather.

If you dig around and find the right package, or get your travel specialist to, you might get this included in the rate for booking a suite or enough days. If not, how much does it cost? Well you know what they say: if you have to ask…

The photo at the top is from the St. Regis Mexico City. Their other hotel there is in Punta Mita, near Puerto Vallarta.

Luxury Collection hotels are located in Lima, the Sacred Valley, and Paracas in Peru; Santiago and Villarica in Chile, and Buenos Aires in Argentina. They also have five gorgeous hacienda hotels in Mexico, all located around Merida and Campeche in the Yucatan.

Book direct with St. Regis or direct with Starwood Luxury Collection.

If you’ve been reading the glossy travel magazines lately, you’ve probably seen them gushing about a new hotel in Chile called Singular Patagonia. It’s the kind of place the art directors at these magazines drool over: a repurposed old factory in a stunning setting, with a great chef at the helm.

Just one problem: most of these editors and art directors are in New York City and they have never set foot in the place. Neither have any of their writers. So they’re basically revamping the press release and passing it off as a recommendation.

Here at Luxury Latin America, we don’t work like that. We’ve got a man on the scene who can swoop in and see if the hype is justified. Our man in Chile is Jimmy Langman, who is also editor of the Patagon Journal. He has written guidebooks and done articles for Newsweek, plus he lives in Chile. So he knows what he’s talking about.

Here’s what he had to say about this strange and beautiful hotel:

The Singular is built on and around a 1915 cold storage plant for processing and exporting frozen meat and wool. After more than 70 years, the Frigorifo Puerto Bories plant closed down and in 1996 was declared a national monument. As Nicolas Sahli, the executive director and owner of The Singular tells it, this plant played an integral part in boosting the sheep farming industry in the region that his own great-grandfather several generations ago, Jose Menendez, helped establish. This industry now informs the cultural identity of Patagonia almost as much as the towering peaks in Torres del Paine.

The public rooms are in the historic sections, including the old slaughterhouse, but the rooms are in a new wing built just for the hotel. So hopefully you won’t be haunted by any ghost sheep.

See our full review here of Singular Patagonia in Chile.

I’ve run some blog posts before on the most popular luxury hotel reviews on our site and which tour stories are getting the most action. It varies a lot from month to month depending on what’s getting press elsewhere and when it’s vacation time in a specific place.

February’s a month when a lot of people have getaways on their mind though, so I thought it would be fun to see which articles got the most action last month. It’s a mixed bag for sure – though quite a few of you have Ambergris Caye, Belize on your mind!

11) Luxury real estate in Cancun, Cozumel, and the Riviera Maya

10) Cliffs Preserve review – Chile

9) Getting pampered in the spas of Argentina

8) Trekking lodge to lodge to Machu Picchu in Peru

7) Playa Vik hotel review – Uruguay

6) Azul Resort review – Belize

5) Cayo Espanto review – Belize

4) Exploring the Coffee Triangle of Colombia

3) Mata Chica Beach Resort review – Belize

2) Hotel El Garzon – Uruguay

1) Luxury real estate in Cuenca, Ecuador

We’ve just posted a review of Quincho Country Home, an intimate, high-service inn just outside of Puerto Varas, Chile. If you’re planning to spend some time in this lake district of Patagonia, we’d recommend this one over our only other featured hotel there, Hotel Patagonico.

Our reviewer just stayed in both and found that Patagonico has declined a bit since Melia management pulled out and there were lapses in maintenance and service. We see this time and again in areas where tour groups seldom stay for more than a night and the front desk checks people in by the busload.

For a more personal and attentive experience, Quincho Country Home will set you up right. You’ll talk with the chef who is going to prepare your meal, with the guide who will lead your excursion, and with the manager who will see what special requests you may have for your room. And they’ll all communicate with each other, not in silos. If you’re a foodie, this is your spot:

If you have a passion for cooking, you will be interested in knowing that you are welcome in the kitchen at any time. If you want, you are invited to go along with the chef as he does his shopping at the markets in the morning, and you can the work alongside him as much or as little as you like preparing the food. As many ingredients as possible are sourced locally, including free range eggs, veggies from the on-site garden, and fish from the local fisherman. Only the top Chilean wines are served.

Sure, this place is a little further out, but you have eight acres for roaming. They’ll pick you up from Puerto Montt airport and see to it that your wishes are granted in terms of activities and sightseeing while you’re there. See our detailed review of Quincho Country Home.