Charming Luxury Lodge - San Carlos de Bariloche
The Charming luxury lodge was our last stop in the Argentinan part of our 5-weeks South American trip. Located on the lovely lake Nahuel Haupi and just a ten minutes drive from San Carlos de Bariloche, the hotel is directly situated on the lakefront with an outstanding view. The whole city of San Carlos de Bariloche is very colonial and remembers of a small city in Canada or Switzerland and actually, the whole interior style of the hotel is matching this area perfectly. The small wooden suites and wonderfully designed gardens are fitting in this stunning nature just as perfect as they could. Staying in this place is like a time journey to a romantic place during the colonization of Argentina.
When you think about Argentina and tourism you probably think about the capital Buenos Aires, which is one of the most beautiful cities we have visited with a unique and very cool vibe, and maybe you think about Mendoza the wine area close to Chile, because you’ve read that on one of you’re wine bottles. Some will think of the Iguazú falls close to Brasil. After all, it is definitely worth to visit the Patagonian part, which is not only consisting of the world famous Perito Moreno glacier or perhaps Ushuaia where the boats to the Arctic depart. There is also Bariloche which is mostly known for skiing holidays in South America (you’ll probably think skiing??? In South America???) but yes skiing in the Andes is probably a unique experience, too. However, Bariloche has so many things to offer in summer as well, just as hiking, biking trips or white water rafting.
We arrived via the main street, worth driving because you have so many amazing viewpoints and stops close to the lake, wanting to take a picture of every side of the lake. The wonderful blue colors with the big mountains in the back - heaven for all mountain and nature lovers. When we reached the property it was just after Valentine’s Day so everything was decorated with hearts and love symbols which made this place even more like in a fairy tale. We were warmly welcomed and the nice young guy at the front desk who also accompanied us to our private lodge.
Our private spa suite was a twin bedroom room with a full lake view and a small wooden terrace in front. All rooms are obviously available with a big king size bed, too. The room was matching perfectly to the rest of the hotel and designed like an old Swiss chalet with lots of dark wood. The room was separated into three parts, in the first, there were the two beds, with a lovely view over the lake out of bed. The second part consists of a walk-in closet and a small kitchen and the third and best part was the private in-room spa with a huge shower which could be used as a steam bath with several flavors and colors to choose too, a sauna which we used every day at least once. All the parts were super easy to adjust. And the highlight of the room was the big bathtub with integrated jacuzzi and a full lake view obviously.
Right underneath our room were the hotel's pool and spa area. An outdoor pool which is heated all year round to 25-28 degrees Celsius and two jacuzzis where you could rest and enjoy the wonderful scenery after a day of hiking, rafting, sightseeing or just a wonderful day of relaxation in this lovely hotel. Also, they do have a public panorama sauna. The first day we visited the city of Bariloche and strolled through the city. Definitely worth to see are all the little chocolate stores - another point why they call this place “Switzerland of South America”. Mostly they offer a great variety of delicious sweets.
In the evening we decided to go to the Kunstmann brewery which is very close to the hotel. You can try the homemade handcrafted Argentinian beers which do have a German background. They also do have a German-inspired restaurant. Both, beer and restaurant are recommendable. The second day we started relaxed again with an amazing breakfast. Starting with a selection of freshly prepared eggs, of course, we chose our favorites: eggs Benedict. The breakfast buffet is not too big but offers a great variety of bread, cheese and fresh hams, Cornflakes, and mueslis, as well as an amazing fruit selection. Obviously, you have to try a hot chocolate. At least you never know when you return to Bariloche! From our point of view, the Charming Lodge is well worth the trip and a stay at this little piece of heaven on earth.
We were exlcusively hosted by Charming Lodge however all above written expresses our own opinion based on our personal experience.
