Hotel Puerto Blest Review: Is It Worth Staying Overnight?

There are hotels you book because they’re convenient, and then there are hotels you book because getting there feels like part of the adventure.

Hotel Puerto Blest definitely falls into the second category!

Set deep inside Nahuel Huapi National Park and surrounded by mountains, this historic hotel is not somewhere you simply drive up to, park, and check in. The only way to reach Hotel Puerto Blest is by boat from Puerto Pañuelo, or as part of the Andean Crossing route if you’re travelling between Argentina and Chile.

That remoteness is exactly what makes it special.

We stayed at Hotel Puerto Blest for one night as a little splurge during our Bariloche trip, and it ended up being one of the most memorable hotel stays we’ve had in Patagonia.

In this review, I’ll share what our overnight stay at Hotel Puerto Blest was actually like, including how to get there, what our room looked like, how we spent our time, and what we’d do differently.

So hopefully by the end, you can decide whether it’s worth staying overnight or if you should just visit Puerto Blest on a day trip.

Quick Verdict: Is Hotel Puerto Blest Worth It?

Yes, if you understand what you’re paying for.

Hotel Puerto Blest is not the place to book if you want nightlife, endless restaurants, budget accommodation, or the convenience of being able to pop into town whenever you like. This is a remote national park hotel where the boat ride is part of the experience and the whole point is to slow down!

For us, the appeal was not just the room. It was the whole experience of arriving by catamaran, waking up by the lake, and having more time to enjoy Puerto Blest without rushing for the return boat.

Getting to Hotel Puerto Blest

The only way to reach Hotel Puerto Blest from Bariloche is by boat from Puerto Pañuelo, so suffice it to say that transportation via catamaran is included when you spend the night!

You’ll first need to make your way from Bariloche to Puerto Pañuelo, which is the same port used for the Puerto Blest day trip and other lake excursions around Nahuel Huapi, like Isla Victoria.

From there, you board the catamaran across Lake Nahuel Huapi and travel west for about an hour.

It’s important to remember that this is not a hotel where you can arrive whenever you like. You’re working with boat schedules! We were told to arrive an hour before the departure time, just to be safe. And we needed the time to pay for the port embarkation fee ($5 USD), and make our way through the very busy terminal.

As a tip, once you arrive in Puerto Blest, you are there until the next scheduled boat. Bring anything essential with you, especially if you’re travelling with kids.

The History of Hotel Puerto Blest

Hotel Puerto Blest was founded in 1904, meaning it actually predates the formation of Nahuel Huapi National Park.

It was originally built as a wooden hotel during a time when trade between Argentina and Chile was very active. Back then, it was less a scenic excursion from Bariloche and more a rest stop for travellers moving through the Andean mountain corridor.

The hotel welcomed guests for over a century, until 2009, when it closed its doors for a major restoration. It then reopened in 2015 as a boutique hotel, preserving historic elements, while offering an updated and more comfortable property for travellers.

First Impressions: Arriving by Boat

There was something very special about arriving at Hotel Puerto Blest by boat.

As the catamaran made its way across Nahuel Huapi, Bariloche started to feel farther and farther away. The scenery became greener, the forests thicker, and towards the end, it felt like the mountains were rising all around us.

The hotel sits on the Blest Arm of the lake, and it’s completely out of sight until you make that final turn, so it almost feels like you’re arriving at a secret spot.

Once we disembarked in Puerto Blest, we felt worlds away from Bariloche! It was just nature all around, the most incredibly turquoise waters, and the excitement of checking into a remote hotel in the middle of a national park.

Our Room at Hotel Puerto Blest

Hotel Puerto Blest has 15 rooms, so it felt nice and cozy, especially when all the day visitors returned to Bariloche and we got to chatting with fellow guests staying the night.

What we loved most about the room was the view. Our room was on the top floor and looked out over the lake, which was a wonderful surprise. All the rooms have views of either Lake Nahuel Huapi or the Frias River.

We booked a standard room, which had a Queen-sized bed and was just enough space for us. Because this is an older historic property, the rooms are a bit on the smaller side, which was typical of the time. However, if you want a bit more space, you can opt for the suites, which have a living room and balcony.

The beds can be set up as a double or as two twins, depending on your preference. They also had an option to request a cot (for a baby or toddler) or an additional bed (for a child or adult) at the time of booking. I forgot to do this, but we were comfortable with Aurelia snuggled between us.

The Best Part: Staying After the Day Visitors Leave

Puerto Blest is a popular day trip from Bariloche, and during the day, you’ll see plenty of visitors arriving by boat to hike to Cántaros Waterfall, visit Lago Frías, and walk some of the shorter trails.

But once the catamaran leaves and the day-trippers head back across the lake, the atmosphere changes.

Everything feels calmer, the trails are quieter, and the hotel feels more intimate.

This, for me, was a big reason to stay overnight at Hotel Puerto Blest. That after-hours feeling is what made the splurge worthwhile for us.

Swimming Pool with Mountain Views

The swimming pool was one of the features that sold me on booking Hotel Puerto Blest.

I enjoy a heated pool, and this seemed like a nice way to unwind at the end of a busy day of sightseeing. So that’s what we did on our first evening at the hotel.

Currently, the pool is set up as a relaxation area, so you’re supposed to book a time slot upon check-in. The idea is that you can enjoy the entire space privately. We didn’t realize this was the case, so we just went to the pool and used the space, and we were the only ones there.

The water was lukewarm rather than properly hot. I personally could have gone for a few degrees warmer, especially in a mountain setting, but it was still a lovely space to relax. Sam and Aurelia went in and enjoyed it, and I was very happy just soaking up the setting.

This is one of those hotel features that feels extra special because of where you are. A pool is nice anywhere, but a pool surrounded by mountains, forest, and lake views? That’s a bit harder to beat.

Breakfast at Hotel Puerto Blest

Breakfast at Hotel Puerto Blest was served in the main restaurant, which has incredible lake views.

The breakfast itself was simple but pleasant: medialunas, a bread basket, cream cheese and jam, ham and cheese, orange juice, and the option of tea or coffee.

This wasn’t an enormous buffet with endless options, but it was enough to start the day before heading out to explore the trails.

If you’re someone who needs a very large breakfast or lots of variety, you may find it a bit limited. But for us, it worked well, especially since we knew we’d be grabbing lunch later on.

Hiking and Exploring Around Hotel Puerto Blest

One of the best reasons to stay at Hotel Puerto Blest is that you have immediate access to the surrounding trails.

I won’t repeat the full trail breakdown here since I cover Puerto Blest, Cántaros Waterfall, and the area’s hiking options in more detail in my separate Puerto Blest guide. But from the hotel, you’re very well positioned to explore the forest, lakeshore, river viewpoints, and nearby walking routes.

After breakfast, we set out, hoping to do quite a bit of hiking. But the reality is that our daughter had only started walking a few months earlier, so we were still very much in the stroller phase of travel.

We tried tackling the Parques Nacionales trail with the stroller and quickly realized that the gravel road was not going to work with our setup. Loose gravel and strollers are not a good combo!

We made it as far as Barranco de los Huillines, where there is a large grassy field. This turned out to be a nice kid-friendly stop. We saw loads of cauquenes (Patagonian geese!), let our daughter run around, and enjoyed views of the Frías River.

We also spent time down at the pebbly beach along the Bahía trail, which follows the lakeshore. We snapped some family photos and had to keep her from splashing into the water.

Cántaros Waterfall and Lago Frías

Cántaros Waterfall is one of the main reasons people visit Puerto Blest.

If you’re staying overnight, you have the advantage of being able to plan your hike before all the day visitors arrive. At check-in, the receptionist suggested that we hike to the waterfall in the morning, though you also have the option of taking the boat across in the afternoon with all the day visitors.

The waterfall trail involves lots of stairs, so it’s something to consider if you’re travelling with small children or have some mobility issues. It’s beautiful, but it’s not effortless.

Lago Frías is another popular add-on in the area. This is a nearby lake of glacial origin with a milky turquoise colour. Again, staying overnight gives you more breathing room to decide how much you want to pack into your visit. You can do a boat trip from Puerto Alegre to Puerto Frias (15 minutes each way) for an additional cost.

Pros and Cons of Hotel Puerto Blest

If you’re still debating whether it’s worth staying at Hotel Puerto Blest and whether it’s the right place for you, let’s talk about the pros and cons.

PROS

• Hotel Puerto Blest is an amazing property if you want to be out in nature. The hotel is quite literally in the middle of a national park. You are in this epic setting surrounded by lakes, forests and the Andes Mountains as far as you can see.
• This is the ideal place if you’re looking for rest and relaxation out in nature! There are trails galore where you can immerse yourself in the Valdivian rainforest, and then at the end of the day, you can enjoy a soak in the heated pool.

CONS

• This is not the hotel for you if you want the nightlife of say Bariloche with its endless craft breweries, restaurants and cafes. If you crave the buzz of the city, you’re going to be sorely disappointed here.
• It’s a bit pricey. This trip was a little splurge that we tacked onto our Bariloche trip. There are certainly more affordable accommodations closer to the city or even along Circuito Chico, where you can enjoy a bit of nature. However, I do think this experience is worth every penny, especially if you consider that everything has to be brought in by boat!

Book your stay at Hotel Puerto Blest

If you’re a foreigner, I find it is easiest to make your reservation via Booking.com. It’s the most straightforward option, and I also find that the rates are often cheaper than what’s listed on the hotel’s official website.

If you’d like to book directly through the hotel’s website, I would recommend first checking out their Promotions page to see if they have any good deals going. This is usually the case during low season. Sometimes they offer 3 nights for the price of 2 for weekday stays, a 10% discount if you book 30 days in advance, and always a VAT refund for foreign tourists (regardless of where you book).

Whether you book through Booking.com, the hotel’s page, or a tour operator, your overnight stay at Hotel Puerto Blest will always include the boat trip from Puerto Pañuelo to the hotel and back.

Final Thoughts: Would We Stay at Hotel Puerto Blest Again?

Yes, we would!

Hotel Puerto Blest is not the most practical place to stay near Bariloche, and that’s exactly the point. You don’t come here for convenience. You come here for the setting, the history, the quiet, and the rare experience of staying overnight in a remote corner of Nahuel Huapi National Park.

For us, it was worth the splurge.

I loved arriving by boat, sleeping in a historic hotel, waking up to lake views, and having time to explore the area at our own pace. I also loved that once the day visitors left, the whole place felt calmer and more intimate.

Would I change anything?

Yes. I’d stay two nights instead of one!

One night gave us a taste of Hotel Puerto Blest. Two nights would let us properly sink into the rhythm of the place. I think this is a great excuse to return one day, maybe in the wintertime, to get a completely different experience.