Much more than merely a place to stay, art-filled Vik Chile offers a serving of gourmet hospitality that goes down like one of the award-winning reds by the on-site Viña Vik vineyard. It’s the winery, which has a habit of ranking among the world’s best and is arguably the main affair, from whose 4,400-hectare grounds this extraordinary hilltop hideaway rises like foam in a bottle.
Hard to impress is the guest who wouldn’t be a little wowed as they catch their first glimpse at the Frank Gehry and Richard Serra-inspired roof of Vik Chile, which glimmered in the distance as our driver turned into a country road snaking its way towards the hotel. On all sides, hills covered in vines alluded to the vineyard and wine hotel that lay ahead. Vik is the 2014-opened passion project by Norwegian entrepreneur Alexander Vik and his wife Carrie Vik, and their fondness for out-of-the-box hospitality would be hard to deny. For us, it became apparent as we sat down between artworks by Anselm Kiefer and Chilean artist Roberto Matta in the hotel’s ‘living room’, a bonsai-dotted zen garden on one side and hanging swing benches overlooking the valley on the other, to sample our welcome drink: a take on an Espanhola cocktail, made with non-alcoholic wine, juices and blueberry tea (why, of course!).
That Vik Chile lends itself to outdoor activities like hiking, horseback riding and tours of its extensive organic gardens should come as little surprise. But explore the hotel’s light-flooded interiors and you’ll find many a space that invites guests to linger, from a small library home to a growing book collection and original drafts for bottle label designs, to a fun-packed games room with a dedicated glass table filled with Legos. It’s all a little outré in an anything-goes kind of way – beige-clad pool tables, tiger print cushions and a life-size, nude mannequin donning a feathered derby hat – but the property stops just short of feeling like a museum with rooms, not least because once you peel your eyes off the many statement pieces, 360-degree views over the surrounding hills and the Andes to the east create an incredible sensation of space and stillness whereve you turn your head.
While seven stylish bungalows (75 sqm/807 sqft) sit adjacent to the main lodge, and have overlooked the valley since their opening as ‘Puro Vik’ in 2019, the hotel’s original 22 accommodations are split across 17 suites (35 sqm/377 sqft) and 5 master suites (45 sqm/484 sqft), each uniquely themed and outfitted. Our ‘Chile’ suite was a standout option, as the only one hiding behind a custom door: a tribute to Chilean cardon cacti, everything from the door to our king-size bed frame and bedside tables was made from the characteristic cactus wood (note, the staff assured us that this was sourced from dead specimens of the vulnerable species).
The local theme also imaginatively extended to the walls, made from woven rattan-style fabric, and statement pieces like Andean-print-patterned stools, while our khaki bathroom with twin vanities, a large, backlit mirror, a rather enormous wooden bathtub, and teardrop-shaped taps and shower head was distinctive in its own right. With the design of each accommodation being this idiosyncratic, it pays to do your research and book a suite that suits your own preferences. That said, accommodations throughout benefit from floor-to-ceiling glass walls, views that call for another bottle of Carménère, and a generous feel that includes things like the minibar (disappointingly stocked with plastic water bottles, however). Owing to the hotel’s open layout and the location of most suites, you’ll more or less find yourself in the centre of the action the moment you step out of your private lodgings, meaning guests looking for an extra layer of discretion and disconnection would likely prefer the sleek bungalows out front.
Gastronomy, as one might expect from an off-the-beaten-track hideaway amidst some of South America’s finest terroir, constitutes perhaps the experiential backbone of any stay at Vik Chile. We loved the hotel’s glass-walled restaurant Milla Milla, with its wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling, wine-stocked glass cabinets on one end, and an entire wall dedicated to guests’ collaborative musings and drawings on the other (you can’t check out without picking up a pen and leaving a few scribbles yourself). The restaurant offers a rotation of themes like flowers or seeds that entail revolving menus and narratives guiding diners through a culinary journey of the land. Wine pairings, of course, play a huge role and, out of an unwavering commitment to our investigative duty as journalists, we left no bottle untasted – rest assured, dear reader, that you’re in good hands here.
Travelling in South America can be challenging for vegans and vegetarians, and we were all the more excited to find that Vik Chile catered to our plant-based diet with such joy, rigour and conviction that none of the dishes that made up our many three-course meals felt lazy or uninspired. To the contrary, our meals were lovingly plated with frequently surprising flavour combinations, from grilled seitan steak with beetroot and strawberry foam, to quince sorbet on vanilla-flavoured rice pudding and dark chocolate. At breakfast, meanwhile, waiters clearly enjoyed surprising us with plant-based muffins and cookies, or chia seed puddings. When the chef came out one night to tell us she dabbles in vegetarianism and enjoys creating vegan dishes, we weren’t exactly shocked.
With that in mind, the team is clearly proud of what they do, and there were times when the staff were so keen to engage us in conversation and make sure we enjoyed our meals that we felt rather imposed upon. It’s not an easy task ensuring guests feel heard and catered to, while reading their energy and knowing when someone would rather just have a moment to themselves while on holiday (or, as in our case, reply to an email here and there). And while we certainly enjoyed the culinary offering, we thought the team could be more confident in it themselves, as opposed to evaluating our every bite (“…just tasty? We were hoping for amazing”). On the plus side, the waiters being so zealous did mean that they proactively printed out recipes of our favourite desserts for us to take home – very sweet, indeed.
At the time of our visit, Vik Chile was in the process of building a dedicated new wellness area, which, despite our having been sworn to secrecy, promises to take things to the next level. There’s already a small sauna and a few treatment rooms, although when we were in search of relaxation, we headed for the vast infinity pool at the hotel’s back, which looks out over the valley, instead. The setting is as show-stopping as it sounds, and you wouldn’t be the first guest to extend their stay by a night or two, just to soak it all up, a glass of something cold in hand, and lounge music dripping from the speakers above. An outdoor jacuzzi, again with gorgeous valley views, complements the current offering.
The one thing you can’t miss – and we really mean it – is a tour of the Viña Vik winery, which is among the world’s best-rated and most advanced. Envisioned by Chilean architect Smiljan Radic, the structure is fronted by what might just be a football-field-sized water feature dotted with boulders that almost seem to nod to the snow-capped Andes straight ahead. Between cutting-edge architecture and equally innovative, sustainable wine-making, there’s so much to admire and learn here, the vineyard alone would be enough to tempt most Santiago visitors to the region just 2,5 hours south of the capital. Our tour was perhaps the highlight of our stay, not least thanks to the OutThere staff member who showed us around, and had us sample Vik’s finest reds before ordering a bottle of our favourite to the winery’s art-filled Pavilion restaurant, so we could enjoy it over lunch.
With the entire team not only being proud of the work they’re doing, but also clearly feeling supported by what, at this stage, has blossomed into a sophisticated operation allowing them to hone their skills and share the magic of the area, we were heartened by just how much Vik Chile feels like a family effort. Combine that with a penchant for thinking outside the box on all things hospitality and design, and serious dedication to further establishing the area as a world-leading wine region, and you’ve got yourself a pairing that melts in your mouth.
Luxury tour operator cazenove+loyd arranged Steffen’s tailor-made trip to Millahue Valley, Chile. The itinerary included all experiences, full board accommodation and transfers. cazenove+loyd can arrange tailor-made trips across the rest of South America and worldwide, with seamless VIP service.
Photography courtesy of Vik Chile
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While you’re OutThere
Don’t miss the Museo Escuela Laguna Taguatagua, a small museum based inside a former school just fifteen minutes or so from the hotel. Guests interested in the history, culture and paleontological finds of the region can look forward to an astounding collection of relics and knowledge about the expansive lagoon that once flooded the valley. Note that displays are in Spanish, but you don’t need to be fluent to get the gist of things like timelines (or the impressive, life-size gomphotherium model in the courtyard).
