I arrived via Santiago , Chile with LAN. The flight from MIA to SCL takes around 8:40 minutes, easy connection to MVD and the flight takes 2:30 Minutes, other alternatives will be American Via Miami, to MVD non stops or Delta to either Santiago or BA. I was smitten by the beautiful crossing of the Andes from Santiago to Montevideo, from my window I can see the snow picks.
Lan Chile is a great airline, clean planes comfortable business class seats that go flat, and same as the other carries I have taken in business class, they do your bed, good electronics and great menu with Chileans wines. Air buses A300.
The Manager of the hotel waited for me to be taken in one of their jeeps to the Hotel Estancia.
The road is very good, and the panoramic views were gorgeous, especially when you get into the coast of Punta Del Este! It reminds me of Southern California. The estancia is about 40 minutes from Punta del Este and 1:40 from the airport of Montevideo.
Lan Chile is a great airline, clean planes comfortable business class seats that go flat, and same as the other carries I have taken in business class, they do your bed, good electronics and great menu with Chileans wines. Air buses A300.
The Manager of the hotel waited for me to be taken in one of their jeeps to the Hotel Estancia.
The road is very good, and the panoramic views were gorgeous, especially when you get into the coast of Punta Del Este! It reminds me of Southern California. The estancia is about 40 minutes from Punta del Este and 1:40 from the airport of Montevideo.
Estancia VIK, Jose Ignacio, Uruguay
This the second property we stayed at, Playa Vik, is just 10 minutes away from the Estancia, but two different worlds. Beach, sun and warm breeze. Two very different concepts in such a close proximity, this resort is very dramatic due to the location and the architecture, the buildings were designed by the same architect who designed the opera house in Paris and the airport in Montevideo spectacular very modern structure, lots of glass and steel, the suites locater in the main building upstairs are magnificent with a wide open view to the Atlantic. The main focus is the infinity pool, which is located in this building behind the solid cooper doors designed by a local artist, who named it "the doors to paradise," Behind is the pool with a great perspective, and almost half of its body hangs in the air!
It’s in the chick town of Jose Ignacio, with a magnificent view of the bay. The resort was closed due to the low season getting ready to be open the next month, but it was open just for us so we can experienced it. There were working and getting it ready, but we the rooms we stayed were good to go. My room was very large with two rooms , one for the children and the master bedroom, with a courtyard around it full of lavender’s bed and herbs, big windows surrounded the room, and the bathrooms were also big, master bed bathroom has a huge oval marble tub and lots of stone forming the walls of the bathroom, lots of closet space and Plasma TV, a fire place. Like the Estancia, Playa Vik also is decorated with fine art and each room has a theme, mine was more western style, and the walls hand painting with cool texture.
The rest of the rooms were also very big and cozy.
It has two small restaurant, a gym, and a place to seat down around a fire pit looking at the ocean.
My impression of Playa Vik is that is very welcoming for families. Most of the rooms have two bedrooms and include beds for children. But I will also recommended it for couples.
The restaurant on the property is not too fancy; small, and the seating is very communal - large tables with chairs on each side. The Spa is not actually a Spa; it’s more like a massage room with a sauna. I wish that they had a real Spa, but I'm not sure where it could go, since the property is not too big, and it’s already taken by the buildings where the rooms are. The access to the beach needs to be clear and clean of debris, and could use better steps with handrails to help to find the way to the beach.
The web site needs an overhaul. www.vikretreats.com at least has imagery and looks high end but www.vikhotels.com looks a little like "Holiday inn". It is not luxury at all and definitely does not communicate the experience. It feels like an online booking engine and not at all what they are offering. The front picture of the pool is enough to make someone seeking a luxury experience to look at something else, the other problem is that if someone thinks Vik Hotel and Vik Retreats are related and they have an incredible experience in Jose Ignacio and they expect the same at the property in Lanzarote, etc. they may be disappointed with what the web site may cause them to perceive as a "brand".
It’s in the chick town of Jose Ignacio, with a magnificent view of the bay. The resort was closed due to the low season getting ready to be open the next month, but it was open just for us so we can experienced it. There were working and getting it ready, but we the rooms we stayed were good to go. My room was very large with two rooms , one for the children and the master bedroom, with a courtyard around it full of lavender’s bed and herbs, big windows surrounded the room, and the bathrooms were also big, master bed bathroom has a huge oval marble tub and lots of stone forming the walls of the bathroom, lots of closet space and Plasma TV, a fire place. Like the Estancia, Playa Vik also is decorated with fine art and each room has a theme, mine was more western style, and the walls hand painting with cool texture.
The rest of the rooms were also very big and cozy.
It has two small restaurant, a gym, and a place to seat down around a fire pit looking at the ocean.
My impression of Playa Vik is that is very welcoming for families. Most of the rooms have two bedrooms and include beds for children. But I will also recommended it for couples.
The restaurant on the property is not too fancy; small, and the seating is very communal - large tables with chairs on each side. The Spa is not actually a Spa; it’s more like a massage room with a sauna. I wish that they had a real Spa, but I'm not sure where it could go, since the property is not too big, and it’s already taken by the buildings where the rooms are. The access to the beach needs to be clear and clean of debris, and could use better steps with handrails to help to find the way to the beach.
The web site needs an overhaul. www.vikretreats.com at least has imagery and looks high end but www.vikhotels.com looks a little like "Holiday inn". It is not luxury at all and definitely does not communicate the experience. It feels like an online booking engine and not at all what they are offering. The front picture of the pool is enough to make someone seeking a luxury experience to look at something else, the other problem is that if someone thinks Vik Hotel and Vik Retreats are related and they have an incredible experience in Jose Ignacio and they expect the same at the property in Lanzarote, etc. they may be disappointed with what the web site may cause them to perceive as a "brand".
I can see why they are reluctant to call it a hotel, I did not feel at all I was in one, like when we stay at the Ritz Carlton or Mandarin Orientals, they are beautiful but they are hotels. Love the contemporary style but simple, the rough texture and the sensuality of the architecture. The earth elements mix together to give balance to this place which is not an ordinary ranch house: The fresh winds that are born a mile away in the Atlantic Ocean spread free in the vast Pampa to endless wonder in the L-shape corridors and move freely inside the comfortable rooms in La Estancia. The sunrise and sunset offers an incredible array of hues dressing up the place for great effects. The sense of remoteness and quietness, gives so much peace to your tired body after a long flight. The passion for Art is show case throughout the property, each room is decorated from sensual paintings , old- world French furnishings, mosaics and modern abstract paintings all originals . The Estancia has four beautiful master suites and eight smaller but still very big suites.
For me when I arrived at this grand and amazing place I thought I was back on time at the “Marlboro country’’: the horses, the cows the gauchos collecting and moving the cattle, the sheep. There is so much to do here or just nothing if you wish: Biking, horse ridding, which is so much fun because of the openness and the beauty of the land, the smell of the eucalyptus, families of parakeets flying above you. Also you can learn about local food, hiking, fishing, hang out at the pool, bird watch, and the solitude move by the fresh whisper of the wind making you feel like you are in a constant state of meditation.
Food and local wine is the best complement of la Estancia Vik. Fresh and fresh all around, the best veal and meat the stapler of Uruguay is cooked to perfection by the Chef, salads, their home made cheese, and yogurts all serve in this great big dinner room. The service is so wonderful all graduated from Hospitality schools, some of them with experience working in Europe; very attentive, diligent, professional and with great genuine smiles.
Overall, this is a place to unplugged yourself and come down to the earth and fell the generosity of its primitive abundance and sublimes.
And did a mentioned it has not TV, love that! and free internet.
Now the cons I see were minimal, the trails for hiking are not demark, the toilette in the bathrooms when flushing the water come with some much rush that could overspill, I did not see a spa which it will be fabulous by the stables with that great view, a list of children activity and more bicycles for the guess.
For me when I arrived at this grand and amazing place I thought I was back on time at the “Marlboro country’’: the horses, the cows the gauchos collecting and moving the cattle, the sheep. There is so much to do here or just nothing if you wish: Biking, horse ridding, which is so much fun because of the openness and the beauty of the land, the smell of the eucalyptus, families of parakeets flying above you. Also you can learn about local food, hiking, fishing, hang out at the pool, bird watch, and the solitude move by the fresh whisper of the wind making you feel like you are in a constant state of meditation.
Food and local wine is the best complement of la Estancia Vik. Fresh and fresh all around, the best veal and meat the stapler of Uruguay is cooked to perfection by the Chef, salads, their home made cheese, and yogurts all serve in this great big dinner room. The service is so wonderful all graduated from Hospitality schools, some of them with experience working in Europe; very attentive, diligent, professional and with great genuine smiles.
Overall, this is a place to unplugged yourself and come down to the earth and fell the generosity of its primitive abundance and sublimes.
And did a mentioned it has not TV, love that! and free internet.
Now the cons I see were minimal, the trails for hiking are not demark, the toilette in the bathrooms when flushing the water come with some much rush that could overspill, I did not see a spa which it will be fabulous by the stables with that great view, a list of children activity and more bicycles for the guess.
Playa VIK
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