The Mandarin Oriental hotel chain is one of the most respected luxury brands in the world, but it has had a spotty history in the Americas. While the company has a few properties in East Coast USA cities and one in the Caribbean, there has been a big blank spot in Latin America…until now. They have arrived in South America with Mandarin Oriental, Santiago.

Mandarin Oriental Santiago in Luxury Latin America

This isn’t the first foray into Latin America, but if you blinked, you missed the two they tried to open in Mexico. First there was the one in Mexico’s capital city that quickly became JW Marriott Mexico City, which it still is today. The other was in the Riviera Maya, just outside the Mayakoba complex, which we ended up having to review twice when that didn’t last either. See an old blog post we wrote about that whole story here. It’s now the Blue Diamond luxury beach resort–and quite nice by the way.

We’re hoping the third time is the charm for Mandarin Oriental in Latin America because this Santiago property is definitely worth a stay when you arrive in Chile. The building was originally a Grand Hyatt and it has the kind of dated architectural design that brand was famous for: a tower with a big atrium in the middle, the rooms surrounding it. The new company had to do some major renovations to transform it into a top luxury hotel that could compete with the Santiago Ritz-Carlton, so they poured untold millions into it over the course of several years.

Santiago luxury hotel swimming pool

While there wasn’t much they could do about the bones of the property, the architects made the most of the tall structure’s views and the gorgeous garden area with what is now the city’s best swimming pool complex.

There’s no risk of getting stuck with a room that doesn’t have a view at this Santiago hotel and you’ll be looking at the gardens, the skyline, or the Andes Mountains from a room that’s at least 560 square feet. Only the suites have bathtubs though, so upgrade to one of those if you’re looking forward to a soak. The suites also have a private outdoor deck. A presidential suite was still in the works during our inspection, which will be on the top floor.

standard room at Mandarin Oriental Chile

Another high point of this Santiago luxury hotel is the food and beverage array at two restaurants and several bars.

Senso, with an Italian focus, has indoor and outdoor seating and is also where breakfast is served. Matsuri serves Nikkei dishes, a fusion of Peruvian and Asian cuisine, in a more formal setting. The lobby bar is staffed entirely with award-winning mixologists and is known for inventive gin and tonics.Both the executive chef and the sous chef in the Senso kitchen are Argentinean with Italian heritage and it shows. All pastas and breads are homemade including an excellent focaccia paired with a spicy green extra virgin olive oil that’s bottled for the hotel by the Miguel Torres winery. Menu options include grilled rib eye, grilled salmon, risottos, oysters, and many pasta options including a vegan pasta dish.

The highly regarded Chilean winery Viñas Lapostolle is also making three wine selections especially for this Mandarin Oriental’s restaurants. A third restaurant is on the way, helmed by a top-name chef, plus a spa that will occupy the second floor was still in the works during our visit.

Santiago is not known for having much of a selection when it comes to large, full-service upscale hotels, so the opening of this property is a major development in the capital of Chile. Follow this link to see more photos and our detailed review of Mandarin Oriental Santiago.