Xelena Hotel & Suites

The reason I gave it such a high two star review is because the staff is very friendly. I’m sure they are instructed to be totally unaccommodating. A travel agent booked this room for us and I believe it cost around $1000 US. I saw other prices that were less when I looked this up. In my opinion, it’s not worth more than Motel 6 in the states. Not to put down on Motel 6 though. If you like tacky, then you may like this hotel because it is poorly built and extremely tacky. Try to turn on the lights in the room, I believe they should give you an extra day just to figure out where the light switches are. The doors in the bathrooms run into fixtures before they open, so you have to squeeze in . The front door is plastic and it would take a good kick and it would open like in the movies. The furniture is tacky. There are no rugs. The wastebasket is basically a pot that you get a plant in at the nursery but it doesn’t have holes in it . Our room had the headboard installed backwards, which was extremely obvious. The walls are thin as paper, and if people make noise in the other rooms, you can hear it in your room. The driveway is a horrible gravel driveway that isn’t, even. I ordered a Pisco sour from the bar and it was below average but the cost was $20 US. It wasn’t even a full size glass. The staff seems very nice and the people that work in the bar seem very nice. The problem is is they buy the cheapest Pisco to make the drink and charge the most they can. We have an espresso machine with small pucks. They left us two pucks for coffee so I asked for a couple more. They said they would charge over five dollars US per puck. They probably cost $.50 or less and I’m paying close to $1000 for this room. You would think they would throw in two extra pucks. I’m sure it’s not the staff , I’m sure it’s the owners or someone telling the staff what to do. I don’t know what your options are down here, maybe tacky is the best you can get. But I definitely do some research before you order a room.

We really enjoyed our stay at Xelena while we were visiting El Calafate. The hotel is well maintained, very clean with great amenities and views. The rooms are sizable and beds are very comfortable. We took advantage of Xelena spa services (massage was good and very affordable) and also enjoyed their pool & sauna. Breakfast was nice too. The location is somewhat remote, but it wasn’t a problem to get taxi to El Calafate downtown and back to the hotel. Highly recommended.

We stayed here for one night during our holiday. Reception staff were friendly, efficient and helpful. The room was very nice, with all the usual amenities. The shop in the foyer is small and very expensive. The food in the restaurant was good, and the tango dancers were a very welcome surprise. However, we found the service rather intimidating. I am a slow eater, but we were approached at least 6 times by staff asking if we were finished, and snatching plates away, when we were clearly still eating. We didn’t find dinner a relaxing experience. The restaurant was only half full, so it’s not like they needed the table. Aside from that, a nice hotel which we would use again.

Very comfortable rooms in great location with great views. The hotel offers a shuttle to downtown which is very convenient if you plan to have wine with dinner. The staff is super helpful, the breakfast is varied with excellent fruit. There is a nice spa which is very popular for guests, lots of people wearing their robes coming in and out of the spa. Guests and staff were all happy!

The Best Hotel in El Calafate. I had a wonderful experience at this hotel. The service, staff, views, decor, facilities made for a great stay! This was the first hotel of my visit and it made it hard for every other place I stayed to measure up:) Highly recommend!

I am seeing a lot of negative reviews and that compelled me to share my experience. My paperwork reads the Xelena as a 4 star hotel. We booked a lakeview room and when we checked in, it was at the ground level. A jogging/bike path was in front and a patch of lawn with access to the spa was in front of the picture window. I didn't like it and asked to be moved. I also wonder if the heater was broken as the room was hot and the window would not stay open. We got moved to a room on the 4th floor, same level as the reception. We still have a view of the lake, just with some tree branches in front. I like our bathroom. I like the stone and everything about it. I like there are a few places to hang our towels. I like the big closet. The furniture is sp**** but comfortable for us. The pillows are great. There are two double beds but maintenence converted them to a King like on a cruises cruiseship. Unlike other Argentinian hotels where a bellhop walks us to our room and shows us how to use the tech, Xelena didn't have that and we needed help with the heater. Our 2nd room had a newer AC/heater and it was easier to use. No problem with the auto blinds. Overall, a nice experience. I enjoyed our included breakfast. I like our coffee in the room as I enjoy the view and the quiet before going to the buffet. We also appreciate the complimentary shuttle to town.

This hotel should not claim to be 5 stars as it does not deserve more than 3. The building and the rooms look old and miss proper maintenance, whereas the bathrooms are small and basic. Views are nice but the place is definitively not worth the price that you are paying.

Xelena is NOT the 5-star hotel it claims to be. (They show 5 stars on all their logos, which should tell you that they want to be what they are not.). However, it is a very nice hotel with good views of Lago Argentina and is located close to many attractions, including Glaciers National Park. The rooms were clean and featured black-out shades, but the bathrooms were very small and had very little counter space. The staff was friendly and helpful, though there were not as many English speakers as we found at the three other hotels we stayed in during our trip to Patagonia. One really nice touch was the tango dancing show that was performed at dinner in the hotel restaurant.