Just as our driver confessed she must’ve gone past Our Habitas Atacama without noticing the hotel, we spotted a cast-iron version of the brand’s logo hanging from a wooden beam that stood out from an unassuming adobe wall, and knew we’d arrived. It’s an ‘if you know, you know’ kind of welcome to a desert oasis steeped in connection and community.
When Our Habitas Atacama opened in September 2023, following a gentle reinterpretation of the hotel that previously stood on its grounds, it did so to no small amount of excitement: the brand, which was born out of the shared desire of three friends – Oliver Ripley, Kfir Levy and Eduardo Castillo – to create spaces for people to celebrate art and culture communally, has clearly struck a chord, enabling it to expand from the Americas to the Middle East and Africa in just a few years. What Our Habitas promises is a sense of connection with nature, fellow guests and even the staff, that’s far from a given in branded hotels where interactions not rarely feel a little contrived. And its Atacama hideaway trades in this very quality.
A matchbox of events and daily changing experiences from yoga and sound baths to pottery and medicinal plant workshops light up each stay, and even the local community occasionally steps through the entrance gate to join a BBQ or a pool party. There’s a sense that everyone you cross paths with here is essentially a ‘friend’, and so we weren’t in the least surprised to find that the staff started referring to us as such from day one. Being made to feel so welcome and relaxed, you’ll want to spend time on the grounds, conveniently among the most verdant in town, with countless corners to unwind or mingle with fellow guests (or the very affectionate cats that have made this place their home and sleep in the shade of chañar trees and pampas grass).
Appearance-wise, Our Habitas Atacama hasn’t altered the structure it has inherited too much, and its 51 accommodations, of which no two are identical, dot the grounds in an organic, village-like manner. Petroglyph-style embellishments on adobe walls have been kept, while Buddha statues and other quasi-spiritual paraphernalia that doesn’t belong in the Andean desertscape made way for flowering plants, a herb garden and a dedicated stargazing area towards the back of the property, where guests are invited to marvel at the world’s clearest night sky in unison, or listen carefully as small, nocturnal animals dash around the gardens at night. Just the dark reception area, which was rather cluttered when we visited, with printers and office supplies very much on display, reminded us that this was indeed a hotel, not someone’s casa. To us, this felt at odds with the otherwise homely boho feel.
Luckily, the rooms are decidedly more minimalist. Split across four categories, accommodations include studios, standard rooms, suites as well as the standalone Trekker Villa, a special retreat sleeping four. Our Explorer Suite looked a little barren to us at first, though this is very much in line with local tradition – small windows to keep the heat out, simple amenities made from natural materials, and cooling adobe and stone walls. Our suite offered everything you might need, yet nothing in excess. Unlike other properties in the brand’s portfolio, Our Habitas Atacama is more of a lifestyle hotel than a luxury one, and if you can’t live without bedside USB sockets, twin vanities or butler service, this might not be the place for you. But if you’re drawn towards a simpler, more rustic proposition, you’ll find accommodations perfectly suited to the desert environment: a few fun features like an outdoor shower lured us out during the day, while at night, the space felt cosy, calm and like a perfect nest to dive into that book you’ve been meaning to read.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Insider | CJC | GMT -4 |
| While you’re Out There |
| The Garganta del Diablo (‘Devil’s Throat’) is a lesser-known attraction in a destination bursting with epic, high plateau scenery and out-of-this-world excursions. For guests in reasonably good shape, it’s easy to bike to the gorge from the hotel – just remember to bring plenty of water, sunscreen and some cash to pay the entrance fee. Once you’ve made your way through the ‘throat’ itself, the biking trail continues to a nearby hill offering a jaw-dropping, 360-degree panorama of the desert, including what must be some 15 volcanoes on the horizon. Don’t forget to stop by the small but pretty Church of San Isidro in the Catarpe Valley on your way back. |
Almas, the on-site restaurant, is a light-flooded and casual affair serving wood-fired favourites alongside Chilean classics. Like the rest of the hotel, the idea is scrumptious, not bumptious – we found the plant-based offering surprisingly considered, ordering flatbread with tomatoes and local herb rica rica, humita gratinada (corn gratin with sweet squash and vegan cheese), and cacao fudge with toasted coconut and raspberry ice cream. We particularly appreciated the relaxed atmosphere, with candles everywhere, and music playing at a volume allowing us to make conversation without having to shout. Notably, Almas features an elevated section inviting diners to sit on cushions on the floor for an even more informal meal (“feel free to eat with your hands”, the staff suggested), a setting that reminded us of toasting marshmallows around a bonfire with friends. Solo travellers, meanwhile, convene at a family table, where they can meet fellow visitors over a meal… lovely, that!
We found breakfast was less consistent, and we weren’t shown a dedicated menu on our first morning on the property, restricting us to a somewhat basic buffet. This was a shame, as with a sourdough toast with lemon, beetroot hummus, capers and almonds, a delicious option that suited our dietary preferences was in fact available, but simply hadn’t been pointed out to us. It’s representative of what we thought was Our Habitas Atacama’s biggest flaw: on several occasions, we found that the team lacked motivation and was downright concerned with their own interests (or Instagram feeds), forcing us to leave our table and walk up to them when we had a question. At any hotel, luxury or not, guests shouldn’t feel as though they’re inconveniencing staff with simple requests, and we wish service, from waiting to housekeeping, had been more attentive.
That’s not to say it’s all bad, of course. When, on one occasion, we asked for a bike and were informed the hotel’s collection was temporarily unavailable due to maintenance, one of the staff members wasted no time in offering us theirs, even arranging a helmet for us. Another time, just as we feared we might not be able to squeeze in a spa treatment, a therapist offered to return after their shift, so we wouldn’t have to cut our day trip short. In those moments, it’d be hard not to appreciate that while service isn’t polished or ‘by the book’, it’s warm and intuitive.
And speaking of wellness, we enjoyed a classic deep tissue massage in one of the two treatment rooms that sit alongside a temazcal facing Licancabur volcano on the horizon. The dedicated wellness area is almost entirely open-air and enclosed by nature, which makes for a grounding experience worthy of the hotel’s holistic feel. Though the treatment rooms aren’t the most sophisticated, they’re certainly charming, with local touches including Andean fabrics draped over massage tables and all sorts of crystals and stones available for more spiritually inspired therapies. Cleverly, the paths leading down to the facilities are covered in sand, making them quieter and hence less disruptive to step on. If it’s a workout you’re after, a small outdoor gym is just next door and features bulky, Flintstones-style weights made from wood sourced from trees that naturally collapsed. And for water babies, a pool awaits on the other side of the hotel grounds.
Our Habitas Atacama is at least as much about the community of like-minded travellers it attracts as it is about its brick and mortar facilities. There’s no denying that the hotel, and the brand behind it, are popular with a growing set of holidaymakers in search of more than just a room. Instead, Our Habitas disciples come for connection, spirituality, and soul. This, the property has all the potential to offer aplenty, and initiatives like the Our Habitas RISE program ensure a commitment to social mobility that underlines the company’s human outlook. Is Our Habitas Atacama the most deluxe place to stay in town? Not by any means. But it’s distinctive, authentic and on to something worth pursuing. Plus, with the brand having joined the Dis-loyalty collective, which rewards members for thinking outside the box, challenging their habits and exploring further afield, there’s now an added incentive to visit.
Photography by Kleinjan Groenewald and Isabel Plos
