Punta Arenas, Chile. The southern tip of the mainland of the western hemisphere.
At first glance Punta Arenas was a chain hotel junkie’s nightmare. No Starwood. No Hyatt. No Hilton or Marriott. A veritable desert of hotel points.
Booking
The Agoda booking app and the Citi Prestige card to the rescue. Agoda showed several interesting hotels. La Yegua Loca was the most appealing, although expensive at $190/night. Using the Citi Prestige concierge to make and pay for the booking meant one of the four nights was free.
La Yegua Loca (roughly translated as the crazy mare) is located on a hill a few blocks from the heart of Punta Arenas. It is a small hotel with a B & B feel.
The woman who checked me in was very pleasant and welcoming. Per my reservation, I was given a room on the second floor at the front of the hotel with a balcony and excellent view of Punta Arenas and the Estrecho de Magallanes (Strait of Magellan).
The Stable
There are only nine rooms at this hotel and each has a name and a theme. My room was the Stable. It was way more comfortable than it sounds.
The room was furnished with a king size bed, wardrobe and desk.
The private bath was small. It had a shower and no tub. Its best feature was the radiator where towels are hung. The radiator keeps the towels and bathroom toasty warm.
For someone used to the homogenous feel of modern chain hotels, the homey feel and creaky floors were refreshing.
La Yegua Loca provides free WiFi in all rooms and areas of the hotel. The WiFi speed was very good. The hotel also has a concierge. I relied on him for advice and to book local tours. The service from the concierge and the hotel staff was top notch as was their English. Adapters are available for the electrical outlets.
Hotel Restaurant
The best attribute of this hotel was the restaurant. Breakfast was included with my rate. Breakfast was a variety of continental breakfast items, including cereal, fruit, juice and coffee, and eggs cooked to order.
I ate all of my dinners at the hotel. I had planned to try other local eateries, but was so pleased with my first dinner, I decided there was no need to go anyplace else.
Entrees were outstanding.
Overall Impression
At checkout, I was sad to bid farewell to La Yegua Loca and not just because it was the end of my time in Chile and Peru. I highly recommend this hotel.
