Sherman's Travel

The Luxury W Hotels Worldwide has unveiled its first property in Latin America. Surrounded by the snowcapped Andes, the 196-room W Santiago sits within the El Golf district on the south bank of the Mapocho River. Near Providencia’s upscale art galleries, Bella Vista’s bohemian cafés, and the museums around the historic Plaza de Armas, the hotel also offers a gym, a spa, and a heated rooftop pool.

The Value The hotel’s opening W Warm-Up offer is available for the rest of the year. With room rates starting at $299/night, the package includes upgrades to Spectacular or Cool Corner rooms with in-room brunch, Pisco Green cocktails, free appetizers, and souvenir T-shirts for two. Spectacular or Cool Corner rooms normally cost $549/night.

The Catch The weather is pleasant during Chile’s spring, with high temperatures ranging from 66 to 72 degrees. But traveling in November means missing the country’s ski season.

The Details 56-2-770-0000, www.whotels.com/santiago

From the fall issue of Sherman’s Travel magazine.

Given that 16th-century Jesuit missionaries cultivated the first grapevines of Chile’s Colchagua Valley, it seems right to bunk up at one of their former haciendas when visiting the region. Such is the allure of Residencia Histórica de Marchihue (from $200/night), an 18th-century estate transformed by its new owners into a 22-room hotel.

Set in the small town of Marchihue, a 40-minute drive from the region’s hub of Santa Cruz, the Residencia feels utterly remote (especially when trying to find it after dark). Once there, guests will discover a serene little sanctum, guarded by towering eucalyptus, rose bushes, and fruit trees. From a large garden, the amiable, talented young chef Pablo Galvez culls many of his ingredients (the hotel raises hens, ducks, and chickens as well). Read more

This 11-day Lakes District and Atacama Desert tour by iExplore provides a solid overview of Chile’s amazingly diverse geography, from the magnificent sight of snowcapped Villarrica Volcano to the wild, wind-sculpted scenery known as The Valley of the Moon. The tour begins in the Southern capital of Santiago and concludes in the historic, pre-Colombian village of San Pedro de Atacama. Along the way, visit world-class wineries in the Andean foothills and enjoy National Park hikes through thousand-year-old forests. Starting at $3,495, this tour covers ten nights in luxury hotels and lodges along with most meals, guided sightseeing and entry fees, and all transfers.