Oceano Patagonia by Nordic

What a beautiful hotel in a magical location! We chose this hotel because of its eco-consciousness and superb location, but it turned out to be the right choice for so many reasons! Our family group had three rooms, each like a housekeeping apartment, equipped with table and chairs, kitchen and bed). All rooms were spacious, in good condition and had spectacular views. Beds were really comfortable. The rooms all had big balconies overlooking the sandy beach. It was such fun to look down and watch the unique system used at Puerto Piramides to drag the whale watch boats in and out by tractor! We didn't see whales from our balcony because there was a plankton bloom further out in the bay so the whales were further out. But the views were spectacular nonetheless. A good reason to go back another time, as usually there are whales right off the beach. We had the great pleasure of meeting Sharilyn Amy, one of the co-owners of the hotel, and her passion for making environmentally friendly choices was inspiring, as she told us how she sourced locally and had really worked hard to create a hotel that was eco-friendly. We were also lucky enough to benefit from her great advice for daytrips and local restaurants! Thanks, Sharilyn! Other things to know: Breakfast was provided for you to make in your room. For my husband and me there was plentiful cheese, ham, jam, butter, cream cheese, six eggs, a glass carafe of milk and a glass carafe of orange juice, and a fresh loaf of bread which was hung on our doorknob each morning. The kitchen is well stocked with dishes, pots and frying pans so you can make fried or boiled eggs. Parking: there are a few parking spots for the hotel, but if you can't get one, it's easy to park nearby on the road. Nearby amenities: there are numerous whale watching companies, restaurants and cafes steps away. The clerk at the front desk gave us good advice to find places.

Excellent staff and location. The property is in a prime place, amazing view of the beach with the whales right there. Also many food options at walking distance. Homemade bread for breakfast and what’s most important, the hotel is sooo eco friendly. Special thanks to Karen and Gonzalo from admin desk, as they helped us deciding where and when to go and also were very efficient with the booking process.

Océano Patagonia is a magical place! I started planning this trip to Peninsula Valdez 6 months ago and kept seeing pictures of Océano. Though my friend and I both have "shiny object syndrome" and checked out many places to stay, we kept coming back to the eco-consciousness of Océano. Their values matched our values: supporting local community, while minimizing travel footprint. We felt like Alice in Wonderland seeing/hearing mother whales with their calves, right from our hotel balcony! The team were warm and welcoming and we felt so at home at Océano. I'm already looking forward to staying there again next year!

What a wonderful experience from the moment I walked in the door to the adventures of the region. The interior design blends exquisitely into the wilderness outside. One walks into the room and is lead outside onto the spacious balcony seamlessly to breath in its wild simple beauty. If you love the wild, you appreciate the thought that has gone into their efforts of sustainability. Repurposed materials in the building and furniture that allow one to ensure a guilt free indulgence of this very special place. This small village depends on tourism and it's fragile environment. As a visitor, I observed that the operators work with the environment. It is a sound principal of compatibility with nature, not exploitation. Prices of the excursions are very reasonable and the operators and staff are conscious of safety and respect to the animals and the environment. In addition, I don't speak Spanish and I found the staff of the hotel are attentive and helpful. Oh, and the food and wine! Ugh! Fabulous! The village has quaint cafes and lovely restaurants. Thank you for welcoming me to Puerto Piramides and beautiful memories. I am tempted to say once in a lifetime memories, but I will be back!

We stayed for 3-nights in early-Oct at the Oceano Patagonia in Puerto Piramides ($308 Can/night). The hotel is located on the beach, one building to the left of the statue of the whale's tail at the end of Avenida La Primera Bajada (the street with all of the whale watching companies). Our 2nd floor room was long and narrow, with the king bed and side tables on one side, a long counter with the kitchen (mini-refrigerator, sink, cabinet, drawers) and TV on the other. Two comfortable chairs and a coffee-table faced the full windows at the end of the room, as did a small kitchen table and 2 chairs. The deck was wide and deep, with a view of the beach, but without any deck furniture – it was still quite cold in the early spring weather, so this was not a big issue. There were no whales visible in the bay in front of the apartment; it required a 20 min boat ride to see them. The bathroom was cramped but with adequate vanity space; the shower had low flows, and it took almost 5-minutes for warm water to arrive (not a plus when the conservation of fresh water is a concern). The refrigerator was stocked with breakfast supplies – ham and cheese, eggs, butter, yogurt and, as a nice touch, fresh-baked bread was delivered each morning in a bag hung on the door handle. There was plenty of parking, 2 spaces in front of the hotel, a couple of cramped spaces in the basement, and the street was empty after the day-trippers left. Everything in town was an easy 2 block walk – convenience stores, several reasonable restaurants, bars – and there is a gas station in town. The staff were friendly and helpful with restaurant and tour operator recommendations. So given all of the positives, why only 3-stars? The website photos show a new, meticulously-maintained building with modern, stylishly decorated rooms. This misrepresents the current status of the hotel; it shows its age and poor maintenance, with worn floors and blackout curtains, pock-marked and stained walls, wardrobe closets that barely closed, damaged trim, plugs that needed to be wiggled to make the appliance work. While everything was comfortable and the location was great, I expected much more from a hotel at this price.