Location is key for a luxury hotel and Llao Llao was blessed from the start with a great one. It sits on its own hill and overlooks Lake Nahuel Huapi on three sides, The other side is the Andes mountains, up close and personal. It comes across like a Canadian Rockies lodge transported to the other side of the globe and completes the resort feel with a golf course and plenty of scheduled outdoor activities.

Guests have about a half hour drive from the airport around the lake to get here, a bit less from Bariloche town itself. A winding road leads up to the parking area and then guests enter a lobby with beamed ceilings, a gigantic fireplace, antler chandeliers, and walls made of polished logs. In the daytime guests are naturally drawn to the glass–enclosed atrium lounge, where high tea is served in the afternoon. Two restaurants serve two moods: a rustic café with iron chandeliers and a view, or the formal Los Cesares, which is a place to linger for hours over fine wine and carefully prepared meals. It's a carnivore paradise, with venison, lamb, and wild boar, but there are fish dishes and other lighter fare as well.

To work it off, many guests enjoy the 18–hole Scottish–style golf course, offering beautiful vistas at each turn. his hotel is a sportsman's paradise with top–notch facilities. Included in the rates are the use of sailboards, canoes, and mountain bikes, while guided hikes, yoga, tango, and archery classes are scheduled regularly.

The huge indoor pool is impressive on its own, but there's nothing like swimming under the wall and coming out into the open air, with a view of snow–capped peaks above the trees. The exercise room contains top–end equipment and the tennis courts are well–maintained. A whirlpool, sauna, and steam bath are in the spa. Shuttles run to La Catedral ski resort in season and the concierge is happy to set up fishing or bird–watching trips. A complete spa regimen, whirlpool, hammam, and sauna alleviate post–athletic fatigue. Children have their own game room and plenty of organized activities that don't require the parents to be around.

The standard rooms here are pretty and well–equipped, but their diminuitive size makes them them best avoided unless the hotel is full and there's no other choice. The most coveted place to be is the romantic two–bedroom Lago Moreno Cottage. It's a cabin with its own deck and garden, with some of the best views available. A new section with 42 studios and suites was added in late 2006 and since these weren't constrained by historic building norms, they are larger and more in line with today's expectations.

© Tim Leffel

This fine mountain lodge could probably get plenty of group business without trying very hard, but it keeps a more demanding clientele coming back through continuous improvement and polished service.

Review by Tim Leffel, photos courtesy of Llao Llao Hotel & Resort.


Web Site: www.llaollao.com
Total Number of Rooms: 204
Published rates: $240 to $2,360 BB