Hotel Termas Chillán

You know what? I’ve stayed at a lot of mountain hotels, but Hotel Termas Chillán actually gets it right in a way that surprised me. First thing you notice driving up that winding Km 80 stretch – and I mean, it’s a proper mountain road, so take your time – is how they’ve managed to build something that looks upscale without completely ruining the natural vibe of the Nevados area. The lobby has this whole wall of windows facing the peaks, and honestly, I just stood there for a few minutes after checking in because the view hits you like that.

The thermal pools are obviously the main draw here, but here’s what the brochures don’t tell you: the best time to use them is actually around 7 AM when most guests are still sleeping off their pisco sours from the night before. The morning mist coming off the hot springs with the Andes backdrop is… well, it’s one of those moments you don’t forget. The pools themselves are genuinely hot – not that lukewarm disappointment you sometimes get – and they’ve got different temperature zones, which your body will thank you for after a day of hiking or skiing (depending on the season, obviously). I mean, there’s something almost meditative about soaking in naturally heated water while snow-capped peaks stare down at you.

What really won me over though was the attention to details that actually matter when you’re staying somewhere remote. The restaurant sources a lot of ingredients locally – the lamb especially is incredible, probably from farms you passed on the drive up – and the wine list has some gems from smaller Chilean vineyards that you won’t find in Santiago hotels. The staff genuinely knows the area too, not just the standard tourist recommendations. When I mentioned wanting to see some of the old araucaria forests, the concierge sketched out a little map to spots most visitors never find. Room-wise, they’re spacious and well-heated (crucial up here, honestly), though the WiFi can be spotty during bad weather – which, let’s be real, is part of the charm of being this far from civilization. The spa treatments are solid if you’re into that, but really, why would you do an indoor massage when you could be outside in those thermal pools? One small thing – parking is easy, which might not sound exciting but you’ll appreciate it after navigating mountain roads with all your gear. It’s definitely pricier than staying down in Chillán proper, but when you’re surrounded by some of the most stunning scenery in Chile and soaking in springs that have been bubbling up from the earth for centuries, the splurge makes sense.