‘New gateway to Antarctica’: World’s southernmost hotel opens in Chile

Luxury cruise line Silversea has opened The Cormorant at 55 South – a 150-room hotel in Puerto Williams, Chile, where passengers will stay on an Antarctica fly cruise itinerary. Cruise lines are no longer in the business of just operating ocean and river ships. In recent years a growing trend has seen operators open their own beach clubs and even private islands for cruise passengers to enjoy as part of a voyage. The latest company to unveil an extension of its hospitality offering is Silversea. The luxury cruise line has officially opened The Cormorant at 55 South, a 150-room hotel located in Puerto Williams, Chile, the southernmost city on Earth. According to Silversea, the property will act as the new gateway to its Antarctica Fly Cruise programme. This will see every cruise passenger on the Antarctica expedition arrive in Puerto Williams on a Silversea-branded charter flight and stay at The Cormorant, before continuing their journey to the “last continent”. On the return journey they will also stay in the property. “We opened The Cormorant at 55 South to make the journey to Antarctica easier and more comfortable for our guests,” said Bert Hernandez, President of Silversea. “Now the expedition begins here, in a hotel designed around Puerto Williams, with the same service our guests expect while on board our ships.” Using modular construction, each of the 150 rooms at The Cormorant at 55 South were built in Mendoza, Argentina, and transported across the Andes and Patagonia to its final location. The new hotel features three large-scale works by Chilean artists, alongside a range of F&B venues. At the hotel’s Latitude 55 restaurant, dishes showcase Chilean flavours and regional ingredients which are prepared using local culinary traditions. Menus start with “what grows, grazes, and swims in the region”, the cruise line said. Bar Sur serves teas and small bites during the day and has a wine list that “tours Chile from north to south”. Other venues include Fireplace, a lounge which has expansive windows overlooking the Patagonian landscape. In terms of activities during a stay, guests can book outdoor experiences such as kayaking the waters of the Beagle Channel and hiking the shoreline trails of Seno Lauta. Guests can also explore the landscape on horseback, where they can see wildlife including cormorants, dolphin gulls, and upland geese.