Unique Hotels in Latin America

For some trips, the accommodation is as memorable as the destination itself. Latin America has no shortage of extraordinary places to stay, from eco-lodges hidden deep in cloud forest to transparent pods suspended high above a valley. The following six options show just how varied — and how spectacular — a night’s sleep can be.

1. Tierra Chiloé, Chile

Tierra Chiloé is an architectural head-turner on the island of Chiloé. Its wooden structure is raised on stilts, a deliberate nod to the traditional palafito houses found along this coastline. All twelve rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the Reloncaví Sound, and the interiors are kept deliberately pared back so that local furnishings take centre stage. The restaurant focuses on seafood caught in the Pacific, matched with Chilean wines. Guests can unwind at the Uma spa, and the hotel keeps its own boat and sea kayaks for exploring the inland waters.

2. Airstream Campers, Bolivia

For a different way to see the Salar de Uyuni salt flats, Airstream campers offer a novel approach. Each polished unit sleeps up to two guests and comes fully equipped, with a personal chauffeur-guide included. The campers hitch easily to a 4WD for off-road excursions. Travelling this way allows more time to explore the salt flats and surrounding area — cycling across vast empty stretches, visiting local communities, stargazing and trekking through remote open landscapes.

3. Mashpi Lodge, Ecuador

Mashpi Lodge may be familiar from the BBC Two series Amazing Hotels. As environmentally minded as it is well designed, it sits within a pristine 1,200-hectare private reserve in the Ecuadorian Cloud Forest. The building is raised on stilts, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing 360-degree forest views, and offers 24 elegantly furnished rooms and suites. Meals are served in a restaurant that looks out across the canopy, showcasing Ecuadorean cooking with local seasonal ingredients. Activities include birdwatching, night walks, swimming in refreshing waterfalls and a gondola ride that travels above and through the treetops.

4. Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica, Peru

Set within a private reserve on the banks of the Madre de Dios river, Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica lies in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon. The lodge has 35 thatched cabanas and five suites, each with a screened porch and hammock, alongside a main restaurant, bar, lounge and a mezzanine overlooking the jungle. One of Latin America’s largest treetop canopy walkways is ideal for early morning birdwatching, and the spa looks out over the river. Excursions include jungle hikes, dugout canoe rides, canopy walks and anaconda walks. Around 540 bird species have been recorded within the grounds, and monkeys, toucans, macaws, caiman and the giant river otter are among the wildlife spotted nearby.

5. Uaxactun Camping, Guatemala

For something altogether different, head deep into the Guatemalan jungle to spend a night or two in a tented camp within the archaeological site of Uaxactun, getting to know the local community along the way. Uaxactun is an ancient Mayan site roughly 12 miles north of Tikal, and it is still occupied by local communities who make a living collecting gum from the forests. Visitors can tour the well-preserved temples that form the oldest known complete Mayan complex, learn about life in the jungle and explore Tikal.

6. SkyLodge Pods, Peru

Peru has a strong claim to being a dream destination, and the Sacred Valley’s SkyLodge Adventure Suites offer one of its most exclusive nights. These transparent pods are suspended 400 metres up, giving 360-degree panoramas across the valley. Breakfast arrives as the sun rises, and the descent is made by zip line back down to solid ground. The surrounding area lends itself to zip lining, white water rafting and paragliding, with some of the best views over Machu Picchu to be found nearby.