Aldebaran Hotel and Spa

Rooms

While Aldebarán’s public rooms are beautiful and welcoming, the hotel’s real charm lies in its 10 bedrooms. They're spacious and minimalist, without being remotely cool or alienating, and great care has gone into making them deliciously comfortable places to rest and relax.

Finding your room at the end of the darkened stairwell is like being shown into a kind of luxurious sanctuary. Clean lines, good lighting and calming, ochre-washed walls create a sophisticated backdrop that invites relaxation. Sumptuous beds have the crispest white sheets and wine-red duvets. You’ll find a large chaise longue or a comfortable chair with a footrest, and some fine antique furniture. Warmth emanates from polished reddish wood floors, and textures throughout are soft and inviting.

Morning greets you with light flooding in through large picture windows, framing a magnificent view of the lake and mountains. Slide the doors open to your own private deck, where you can sit in privacy and watch the sun go down, or have breakfast in peace.

Bathrooms are equally pleasing: cream stone sits well against polished blonde concrete, creating a big tranquil space for you to pamper yourself with the creamy soaps, high-quality toiletries and luscious towels.

There are 4 standard rooms labelled Bosque de Coihues, 4 deluxe rooms called Cerro López, and 2 suites. All have CD players, phones, bathrobes, safe boxes, hairdryers and WiFi; the main difference between them is size. The suites are truly immense and have their own indoor sitting areas with TVs. Standard rooms are cosy, and the deluxe rooms strike just the right balance.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

One of the great pleasures of staying near Bariloche is the fine local food. As well as the ubiquitous Argentine beef, there’s Patagonian lamb, wild boar, smoked trout, wonderfully aromatic mushrooms, and superb soft fruits of all kinds. The region’s restaurants are now waking up to the creative potential this affords, and Aldebarán’s Sirius restaurant is no exception, forging a new style of sophisticated, elegant cuisine.

The charming dining room is a long, narrow space clad in local stone, with deep red seats and romantic lighting to inspire intimacy. A wide window offers breathtaking lake views during breakfast; for lunch and dinner there's a more theatrical ambiance - the perfect end to a day of mountain adventure or lakeside sunbathing.

The dishes on offer are delicious. Start with trout carpaccio, or an excellent salad of local smoked meats and goat's cheese on a bed of leaves. Brace yourself for the mains, though: the beef cooked in Malbec is superbly succulent, and the Patagonian lamb absolutely delicious. Vegetarians are in for a treat, too: my mushroom pasta was intensely creamy and stood up well to an excellent glass of Patagonian cabernet sauvignon. There’s a short but well-chosen wine list, plus a tempting range of puddings.

Breakfasts are luxurious buffets, including everything you might imagine: freshly squeezed juices, plates of beautifully arranged fruit, cereals, yoghurts, and various kinds of freshly baked breads (made in the traditional clay oven). There are also homemade cakes and tarts, delicious jams made from locally grown fruits, and cheeses and cold meats. Take time to linger over the view of the lake, or order room service and enjoy the same view from the comfort of your bed or private deck.

Features include:

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Room service

Activities

• Have a superb massage in the spa; reiki, aromatherapy and facial treatments are also available. Then simply relax and enjoy the wonderful views
  
  
• Walk around the virgin Valdivian rainforest at Llao Llao, just 3km from the hotel. It has stunning views and wonderful wildlife
  
  
• Take the boat across lovely Lago Nahuel Huapi to the fairytale Bosque de Arrayanes, a rare woodland of arrayanes trees, with their spiralling cinnamon-coloured flaking bark creating a magical light. Then walk back to the quaint tourist town of Villa La Angostura and return to the hotel by road
  
  
• Or take the all-day boat trip to Puerto Blest. Leaving Puerto Pañuelo (close to the hotel) early in the morning, it takes you west to the end of the indigo-blue, fjord-like lake. From there, another boat crosses the peppermint-green Lago Frías. This is the first part of the Three Lakes Crossing to Chile, but you can go for an unforgettable day trip and return to sleep in the hotel. Book ahead as it’s very popular
  
  
• Take the cable car up to the top of Cerro Otto (1,405m) and have tea in the revolving restaurant at the top
  
  
• Ski at Cerro Catedral (July to September), or use it as a base for fabulous hiking in all directions. There are lots of refugios, making it possible for you to stay the night in the wilds and continue hiking the next day
  
  
• A particularly spectacular hike takes you up to Refugio López, starting from the southeastern tip of Lago Moreno. Get advice and maps, or hire a mountain guide (recommended) from Club Andino Bariloche
  
  
• Go white-water rafting along Río Manso, south of Bariloche, with a reputable company such as Extremo Sur. The Manso Clásico is grade 2 or 3, but the Manso a la Frontera is really recommended: raft all the way to the Chilean border through lush forest and some fast rapids (not for the faint-hearted)
  
  
• Reception can also arrange cycling, diving, kayaking, fishing and golf - just ask

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Boat trips
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Golf
• Hiking
• Horse riding
• Kayaking
• Plantlife / flora
• Rafting
• Scuba diving
• Swimming
• Trekking
• Well being
• Wildlife

Kids

Children are welcomed at Aldebarán, though it’s a grown-up kind of place and younger kids might not feel there’s quite enough room to run around. However, staff go out of their way to make families feel welcome: there’s a small area for kids to play in near the bar, and the pool - small as it is - will be immensely appealing.

Family friendly accommodation:

All rooms have a sofabed or can accommodate a rollaway bed, and baby cots are available. The suites have a living room which can be made up as a twin bedroom on request.

Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 45 minutes
• Shops: 10 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Aldebarán is situated on the shore of Península de San Pedro, which sticks out into Lake Nahuel Huapi around 20km west from Bariloche, the main tourist hub in the Argentine Lake District. It's a scenic 30-minute drive from the town to the hotel.

By Air:
Bariloche Airport is a 45-minute drive away. It's served by direct flights from Buenos Aires (around 2 hours) and some flights from Santiago and Puerto Montt in Chile - click on the links below for information on airlines.

From the Airport
Transfers from the airport can be arranged on request

By Train:
Bariloche is served by one train route, from Viedma on the Atlantic coast. It's a comfortable if long overnight service, but is unlikely to be much use to you unless you particularly want to go to Viedma.

By Car:
Taxis are cheap and plentiful, but it’s a good idea to hire a car to make the most of the local area - see our car rental recommendations. If you’d rather not hire a car, then most local tour operators can pick you up at the hotel for day trips and activities.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.

More on getting to Argentina and getting around