Design Suites Calafate

Pros: great views of lago Argentino, decent breakfast, our kids loved the pool, and it has a small gym. It’s not near town so you definitely need a taxi to get to/from. Cons: Paper thin walls that we could hear the baby and kids screaming at 6am in the morning, indifferent staff at the reception desk, there’s no real way to open the windows when the rooms got stuffy. Overall would recommend for views but I think there maybe better options in town.

The Design Hotel in many ways added to the wonderful experience we had doing our Patagonian trekking. It was the springboard from El Calafate to all 3-days of our tours. If you’re Asian you’ll appreciate the breakfast buffet that included fried ham chunks and rice. Then at end of the long exhausting day you get a room that’s big and comfortable and most importantly, air-conditioned. Ending the day in their restaurant with an expertly grilled thick Argentinian ribeye steak just hits the spot. A major reason for choosing this hotel is the rooms face a gorgeous view of the snow-capped mountain and turquoise lake. Now for the misses. 1) there is no easy access for a socket beside the bed to charge your device, this is extremely shortsighted for a modern hotel, better yet— install a bedside usb-C charging port 2) there is no full-length mirror and no shaving mirror, what luxury hotel omits these? 3) the room safe was busted and the jacuzzi looked rusty and not well-maintained 4) and lastly the hotel restaurant staff could be more welcoming and friendlier rather than snooty to be truly world-class IMHO, we had reservations but had to wait a long time just to get the place settings, not to mention another long wait just to get the menu.

Staying at the Design Suites Hotel in El Calafate was, to put it mildly, a massive disappointment. I went in expecting a stylish and comfortable experience, especially given the price, but what I got was far from it. Let's start with the "design." While it might have been chic at one point, the hotel is now showing serious signs of wear and tear. The rooms were falling apart, literally. Things were broken, paint was peeling, and the overall maintenance was shockingly poor. It felt like the hotel had been neglected for years. And the hygiene? Very questionable. The service was equally abysmal. The staff seemed disinterested and unhelpful, and there was a general lack of attention to detail. It felt like they were just going through the motions. My first dinner at the hotel restaurant resulted in severe food poisoning. I was sick for days, which completely ruined my time in El Calafate. It was a truly awful experience. To add insult to injury, we were overcharged on our dinner bill. When we pointed out the discrepancy, the staff argued that the bill was correct, even though we had the menu to prove otherwise. It was a frustrating and unpleasant experience. The only redeeming quality of the Design Suites Hotel is the view. It's truly outstanding, overlooking Lago Argentino and the surrounding mountains. But honestly, the view isn't worth the misery of staying at this place. For the exorbitant price they charge, the Design Suites Hotel is a complete rip-off. There are far better hotels in El Calafate that offer better value for money and a much more pleasant experience. My advice? Avoid this place like the plague. It's a disaster waiting to happen.