Hotel Alaia Design and Surf Hotel
As recommended by a hotel owner in Central Chile, we drove to Pichilemu to eat Alaia for lunch. Smitten with the restaurant’s seafood and the groovy surf vibes – we cancelled part of our trip and stayed at Alaia for 2 blissful nights.
Hotel Alaia is located on the Punta de Lobos peninsula, a world-renowned surfing spot that boasts a breathtaking landscape. Fun fact: the hotel was named after a surfboard from ancient Hawaii with a square tail and rounded nose.
Location and Safety
Hotel Alaia is located on the Punta de Lobos peninsula, a world-renowned surfing spot that boasts a breathtaking landscape. Punta de Lobos’ idyllic landscapes and surf culture lend to a peaceful community, so don’t be afraid of taking a moonlight walk on the beach.
The parking lot is on-site with a guarded gate, so rest-assured your method of horsepower is safe and sound. We recommend having a car for this trip, it’s not a walking friendly area.
In the surrounding commune of Pichilemu, which is made up of 22 different villages, you’ll find five of Chile’s National Monuments – Agustín Ross Cultural Center and Park, Estación Pichilemu (a train station), El Árbol (a tunnel), and the Caballo de Agua (an old water horse). However, the biggest attraction is surely the surf. More on that here.
Food and Drink
While room-service is an option, the gigantic rock chimneys are set ablaze each night for dinner. Arrive early to snatch the primo couch seat by the fire, or arrive late for the perfect fireside nightcap.
The property is well-positioned near the Colchagua Valley wine region. During your stay, the hotel may have tastings of the area’s wine varietals. If there’s no tasting, their wine menu is always stacked.
Virtually every ingredient on the menu is from the surrounding community, including organic vegetables and locally caught fish for which the town of Pichilemu is famous for. The most memorable menu item were the empanaditas – miniature empanadas filled with “cochayuyo” – an edible Chilean seaweed said to have healing properties. Read more about Chilean cochayuyo seaweed here.
From sea to table, you’ll not be disappointed by the rotating lunch and dinner menu, or the bountiful breakfast buffet.
Rooms
With 12 private bungalows, a stay at Hotel Alaia ensures you’ll experience the Chilean coastline from nature’s perspective.
The beds are comfy and cozy, with floor-to-ceiling windows gifting you a spectacular ocean view. Each room is a private sanctuary, the stillness of the space abating the crash of waves outside your window.
The shower has ceiling to hip windows that overlook beach dunes covered in ice plant and beachgrass. As if you’re watching your own private movie, thirty minutes will easily pass by as you shower.
The minibar is stocked with regional snacks, beef jerky, Colchagua Valley wines, and local artisanal beer.
Amenities
Hotel Alaia offers plenty of adventurous ways to experience the area’s natural delights. There’s no reason to leave the hotel really, with it’s own rock-climbing wall, skate park, and collection of stand-up and surf boards.
The wood-fired hot tubs are perfect for warming your post surf session tootsies, or for some late-night star-gazing romance.
From the beachside outdoor showers to the surfboard storage closets to the Billabong surf school, it’s hard not to dig the Alaia surf culture during your stay.
Design and Architecture
Beyond the boulder climbing and skate park that greet guests upon entry, you’ll find a panoramic terrace followed by a wooden pathway leading down to the beach front.
The minimalist spirit of the property allows it almost become almost one with the earth it’s built on, as if it’s not impeding on the soil but rather feeding it. The walls are made of recycled oak from the big Chilean earthquake a few years back – creating a spectrum of muted color palettes and giving each space depth beyond the walls.
The decór and furnishings were sourced primarily from local wood craftsman, painters, and sculpture artists.
The low visual impact design and minimalist bohemian spirit was purposeful, as it allows you to focus on the raw landscape of Punta de Lobos.
