Natales’s most distinctive new accommodations are the subtly landscaped Hotel Altiplánico del Sur (Ruta 9 Norte, Huerto 258, tel. 061/412525, www.altiplanico.cl, US$160/170 s/d), which has built all its rooms into the hillside along the Paine highway about two kilometers north of town. Only the windows and roof rise above ground level, while blocks of peat insulate the concrete structure and help integrate it into its site. The common areas, the rooms, and the furnishings all display an elegant simplicity.

New in late 2006, on the site of what was once a modest B&B, Hotel Indigo Patagonia (Ladrilleros 105, tel. 061/413609, www.indigopatagonia.com, US$135–190 s or d) is an audacious new hotel and spa with 29 rooms, including half a dozen suites. Facing the waterfront, it bids to help transform the shoreline.

Rates at the waterfront classic Hotel Costa Australis (Costanera Pedro Montt 262, tel. 061/412000, US$145/165–180/200 s/d) depend on whether the room has a city or sea view. Off-season rates also fall substantially.