Description
Portillo is a unique ski destination with just one hotel, the Hotel Portillo. Situated on the edge of Laguna del Inca and surrounded by the towering, rugged Andes, the bright yellow hotel has cosy rooms with spectacular views of the lake or valley and an extensive range of facilities including an impressive outdoor pool and hot tub, a cinema, bar and on site and slopeside restaurants.
Portillo is a great destination for skiers and those who enjoy the outdoors and beautiful scenery. The resort has a very friendly, welcoming feel to it and families are well looked after, with special facilities and activities for children, both ski and non-ski oriented.
The ski season at Portillo runs from June to October. The resort receives nearly 300 days of sunshine and an average of 7 metres of snowfall each season. The snow conditions are generally excellent and skiers and snowboarders of all abilities are catered for, including those with special needs. Expert skiers have access to vast and challenging areas, steep terrain and exhilarating experiences. Portillo also allows beginners and intermediates to excel at their own pace on groomed runs and open bowls.
Accommodation
Hotel Portillo has 123 guest rooms, suites and family apartments. The double rooms have either valley views or lake views of Laguna del Inca and those on the 6th floor have their own balcony. The suites are more spacious, with an additional dressing area, living room and balcony. The family apartments are made up of 2 interconnecting bedrooms, one with a queen or two twin beds and the other with bunk beds, plus either one or two bathrooms.
Childcare
Hotel Portillo is very family orientated. There is a nursery for 0-3yr olds and a daycare centre for 3-7yr olds. Activities for children include scavenger hunts, dancing and crafts and a huge game room has billiards, ping pong and a climbing wall. A special ski and snowboard programme for 4-6yr olds, known as Kids Camp, introduces young children to skiing and gives parents free time to ski in the mornings and/or afternoons. Also, promotional Kids Ski Free weeks are offered through the year.
Facilities
Hotel Portillo has an incredible range of facilities including a fitness room, yoga room, full court gymnasium, sauna, beauty salon, bar, game room with climbing wall, living room, internet cafe, health clinic, disco and even a cinema. Outside there is a fantastic pool and hot tub with loungers, overlooking Laguna del Inca. There hotel also offers ski equipment rental and a ski/general store. Dining options include a main hotel restaurant, slopeside restaurant and a snack bar by the pistes.
Activities
Portillo offers excellent skiing, snowboarding and heliskiing, with 45 kilometres of pistes accessed by 14 lifts. Skiers can take part in the weekly Sol de Portillo race run by the resort and every Friday there is a torchlight parade, best seen from the hotel's sun deck. For non-skiers or those wanting a break from the pistes can there is a massage service, daily yoga classes, aquatic classes at the pool, ping pong, a climbing wall and the chance to play volleyball, basketball and badminton.
Services
Portillo is able to offer adaptive skiing, catering to those with special needs. It is also is well known for offering specialist ski camps including ski training weeks with the top ranking North American Ski Training Centre (NSTC) and a Big Mountain Telemark Camp, with a week of intense Telemark instruction deep in the Andes. There are also special Chilean Wine Weeks with wine talks and tastings, and Family Weeks with extra entertainment for the whole family.
When to travel
The season in Portillo runs from June to October.
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Best time to visit
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Average time to visit
Not applicable
Location and directions
Portillo, Chile
Portillo is located on the edge of Inca Lake and surrounded by the towering rugged Andes, 160km from Santiago.
How to get there
17-hour international flight to Santiago International Airport, followed by a 2.5-hour car transfer.
