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Registrace 29. 07. 2020
Most Expensive Ski Hotel in South America? Hotel Portillo: What You Get
Hotel Portillo in Chile is probably the most expensive hotel at a ski resort in South America. In 2024, prices for a single room are as high as $1,400 USD per night! That's a big increase from 2023 prices. Portillo is small ski and snowboard resort, but it has some of the most difficult in bounds terrain that I've seen in South America, and only one hotel - Hotel Portillo. So what do you get if you pay those prices?
Hotel Portillo is an all-inclusive resort. So while $1,400 is certainly a hefty nightly rate, you don't have to buy chairlift tickets. You don't have to pay for breakfast, lunch and dinner (except soft drinks and alcohol). So the effective nightly rate is significantly lower.
Let's start with the downsides. First, Hotel Portillo was built 75 years ago. So the walls are thin and the radiators occasionally make noise. So you may want to bring ear plugs for when you're trying to sleep. In the dining room, wherever you sit the first day -- that is where you have to sit for the rest of the vacation. So choose your table wisely. Some people may not like the check-in experience because everyone arrives on the same day at approximately the same time. I didn't find it to be that bad. If you prefer a quick lunch, you may not like the lunch option here because it tended to take me 1.5 hours, and I ate quickly. There are also no TVs in the hotel rooms.
Now the upsides. If you stay for a week, the hotel can provide a free transfer to and from the airport. There is one formal dining room, and the meals are surprisingly good for an isolated ski resort. It's not a Michelin star restaurant, but I was impressed by how good the food was. I never left the dining room hungry. The staff is very friendly, and if you don't speak Spanish like me, there were no problems because most of the staff spoke English. The rooms in the hotel have been renovated and are much nicer than what you may read about them in older online reviews. If you're traveling from North America or Europe, you'll arrive at the airport early in the morning and leave late at night, so you can squeeze in two extra days on the mountain compared to the average week-long trip in the northern hemisphere. The hotel has a lot of activities, and is great for kids. The view from the hot tub is unbeatable.
So is it worth the price? Well, for those who can't stomach paying such a high nightly no matter how many other costs are covered and therefore eliminated, it may never be worth it. For others, it may depend on how good the snow is, because in my opinion, Portillo is such a unique and special experience in and of itself that if you add tons of snow on top of that, it can easily be worth the price.
Hotel Portillo is an all-inclusive resort. So while $1,400 is certainly a hefty nightly rate, you don't have to buy chairlift tickets. You don't have to pay for breakfast, lunch and dinner (except soft drinks and alcohol). So the effective nightly rate is significantly lower.
Let's start with the downsides. First, Hotel Portillo was built 75 years ago. So the walls are thin and the radiators occasionally make noise. So you may want to bring ear plugs for when you're trying to sleep. In the dining room, wherever you sit the first day -- that is where you have to sit for the rest of the vacation. So choose your table wisely. Some people may not like the check-in experience because everyone arrives on the same day at approximately the same time. I didn't find it to be that bad. If you prefer a quick lunch, you may not like the lunch option here because it tended to take me 1.5 hours, and I ate quickly. There are also no TVs in the hotel rooms.
Now the upsides. If you stay for a week, the hotel can provide a free transfer to and from the airport. There is one formal dining room, and the meals are surprisingly good for an isolated ski resort. It's not a Michelin star restaurant, but I was impressed by how good the food was. I never left the dining room hungry. The staff is very friendly, and if you don't speak Spanish like me, there were no problems because most of the staff spoke English. The rooms in the hotel have been renovated and are much nicer than what you may read about them in older online reviews. If you're traveling from North America or Europe, you'll arrive at the airport early in the morning and leave late at night, so you can squeeze in two extra days on the mountain compared to the average week-long trip in the northern hemisphere. The hotel has a lot of activities, and is great for kids. The view from the hot tub is unbeatable.
So is it worth the price? Well, for those who can't stomach paying such a high nightly no matter how many other costs are covered and therefore eliminated, it may never be worth it. For others, it may depend on how good the snow is, because in my opinion, Portillo is such a unique and special experience in and of itself that if you add tons of snow on top of that, it can easily be worth the price.
zhlédnutí: 2 532
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Ski Chamonix: Remote Work VLOG
zhlédnutí 737Před 4 měsíci
My final week of working remotely in Europe to increase my ski season takes place in Chamonix, France. I've been here before and my major criticism is the layout of the mountain. It's split up, so you have to drive to different bases to enjoy all of the terrain. But I'll discuss that in a later video. Here, I'm just trying to find some fun runs because the week started out warm with slushy snow...
La Plagne & Les Arcs: Remote Working VLOG from Paradiski
zhlédnutí 488Před 4 měsíci
Paradiski, France is the third largest ski and snowboard resort in the world. It's two ski resorts combined - Les Arcs and La Plagne. I'm here for my third week of working remotely from Europe to increase my ski season without using vacation time. But I'm actually using vacation this week. Why would I do that on a trip where I’m working remotely to preserve vacation time? First, because my work...
Tignes-Val d'Isère: Crazy Après-Ski and Remote Working VLOG
zhlédnutí 1,1KPřed 4 měsíci
If you go to Europe to work remotely and increase your number of days on the mountain during your ski or snowboard season, and you visit Tignes/Val d’I’sere in France, you probably won’t be able to avoid the apres-ski scene. It’s everywhere! La Folie Douce is the main scene during the day, up on the mountain in Val d’Isere. You can hear the music on the mountain before you even ski or snowboard...
Vialattea (Turin): Ski More with Remote Work VLOG
zhlédnutí 801Před 5 měsíci
I'm returning to Europe to work remotely and take advantage of the time difference from the east coast of the U.S. to get more days on the mountain during the ski season without using any vacation days. And this time, instead of posting videos that cover tips about doing it yourself, I'm going to post a weekly ski VLOG that may provide a better sense of what it's like to work remotely and ski o...
Three Words: EPIC. ALASKA. HELI-SKIING.
zhlédnutí 2,1KPřed 6 měsíci
Heli-skiing in the apex of skiing and snowboarding. Fresh powder snow on every run. No need to wait in lines at the chairlift. You go wherever you want. And if you add in Alaska as the location? It's hard to get better than that. I went on a trip to ski at Alyeska Resort outside of Anchorage. Alyseka is located by Girdwood, Alaska. There is a hel-iskiing company named Chugach Powder Guides that...
Alyeska: Top Reasons to Visit or Skip it
zhlédnutí 6KPřed 6 měsíci
Alyeska Resort is a ski and snowboard destination 40 minutes outside of Anchorage, Alaska. Here are top reasons to plan a ski or snowboard trip there, along with top reasons not to visit Alyeska. Reasons to Visit: 1) It's Alaska. Skiing or snowboarding the rugged and untamed mountains of Alaska is a dream. Alaska has the allure of being the last frontier. It's a bucket list item. 2) It's Not th...
Tips for the Sellaronda Loop - Dolomiti Superski
zhlédnutí 7KPřed 7 měsíci
The Sellaronda is a mountain formation in the Dolomites surrounded by Dolomiti Superski, the world's second largest ski and snowboard resort. Dolomiti Superski is comprised of several interconnected resorts like Cortina d'Empezzo, Alta Badia, Val Gardena, Arabba, and Val di Fassa. This interconnectivity enables you to spend the day skiing or snowboarding around the Sellaronda. If you go clockwi...
Are These Ski Slopes Really "Epic?" NatGeo's 100 Slopes of a Lifetime
zhlédnutí 856Před 8 měsíci
My ski buddy gave me a book published by National Geographic that details their selection of the 100 ski slopes "of a lifetime" throughout the world. Four of the slopes were located at resorts I had already planned to visit this year: (1) Lake Run at Portillo, Chile, (2) Powder Bowl at Crystal Mountain, Washington, (3) Cirque Bowl at Mount Bachelor, Oregon, and (4) Gran Risa at Alta Badia in Do...
[French Version] Discover Zermatt through Loïc Nottet’s “Mr/Mme”
zhlédnutí 262Před 8 měsíci
J'ai déjà posté une vidéo contenant des conseils sur le ski ou le snowboard à Zermatt, en Suisse. Alors, à mon retour l’année dernière, j’ai décidé d’essayer quelque chose de complètement différent. J'ai filmé des scènes en ville et sur les pistes de Zermatt et les ai mises sur « Monsieur/Mme » de Loïc Nottet. Loïc Nottet est un chanteur belge à la voix absolument incroyable. “Mr/Mme” est une c...
Explore Zermatt through Loïc Nottet's "Mr/Mme"
zhlédnutí 332Před 8 měsíci
This is a bit of an experimental ski and snowboard video. I was in Zermatt again and decided simply to film scenes in the town and on the slopes and put them all together with a song that you would normally never think of when it comes to skiing, snowboarding, AND ski resorts. Loïc Nottet's "Mr/Mme." Loïc Nottet is a Belgian singer with an absolutely incredible voice. It's a powerful song that ...
Ski Arlberg (St. Anton): Pros & Cons, and Epic Pass
zhlédnutí 16KPřed 8 měsíci
Ski Arlberg (St. Anton): Pros & Cons, and Epic Pass
Ski More Without Using Vacation Time: Tips for European Remote Working
zhlédnutí 2KPřed 9 měsíci
Ski More Without Using Vacation Time: Tips for European Remote Working
What Keeps You Skiing? For Me, It's Childhood Memories. Nostalgia.
zhlédnutí 325Před 9 měsíci
What Keeps You Skiing? For Me, It's Childhood Memories. Nostalgia.
What's it Like to Paraski Val Thorens?
zhlédnutí 511Před 9 měsíci
What's it Like to Paraski Val Thorens?
Tips for the World's Largest Ski Resort: Les 3 Vallées, France
zhlédnutí 64KPřed 9 měsíci
Tips for the World's Largest Ski Resort: Les 3 Vallées, France
How to Self-Film the "Pass-By" Ski Shot: Insta360
zhlédnutí 3,6KPřed 10 měsíci
How to Self-Film the "Pass-By" Ski Shot: Insta360
Is Stevens Pass or Crystal Mountain Better for You?
zhlédnutí 7KPřed 10 měsíci
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Film Yourself Skiing with Insta360 X3: Shadow and Blind Spot Problems
zhlédnutí 3,3KPřed 10 měsíci
Film Yourself Skiing with Insta360 X3: Shadow and Blind Spot Problems
Ski Zermatt: Mountain Layout & Where to Stay
zhlédnutí 51KPřed 11 měsíci
Ski Zermatt: Mountain Layout & Where to Stay
I Flew Emirates Direct to Ski from the US!
zhlédnutí 660Před 11 měsíci
I Flew Emirates Direct to Ski from the US!
Should You Ski or Snowboard Portillo, Chile?
zhlédnutí 2,6KPřed rokem
Should You Ski or Snowboard Portillo, Chile?
Should You Ski Valle Nevado or La Parva, Chile?
zhlédnutí 15KPřed rokem
Should You Ski Valle Nevado or La Parva, Chile?
What is Verbier like? One Snowboarder. One Skier. Nothing but footage.
zhlédnutí 654Před rokem
What is Verbier like? One Snowboarder. One Skier. Nothing but footage.
Hors Piste Skiing in Verbier - First Time
zhlédnutí 16KPřed rokem
Hors Piste Skiing in Verbier - First Time
I was there last Friday. Amazing!
i ski here every weekend don't come it's not worth it, go to hill top. perfect for everyone
Very informative thanks!
How did you get those above head clips, did u have a drone or a buddle behind you ? 3:25
@@cezarvrejoiu5095 I used a 360 camera attached to an invisible selfie stick (4 feet) attached to my helmet. Makes it harder to balance/ski, but can capture a cool angle.
@@SkiBoyNY. good stuff brotha ✊🤘
Fantastic imagery. Did you take all the footage in here? What cameras did you use? Looks very stable and sharp.
@@choisam20 Thanks! Yes, I took all the footage with the DJI Pocket 3 and Insta360 X4.
@@SkiBoyNY. thank you for your answer. I’m thinking of getting 360 x4 for ski content. I heard great things about x3. Is x4 just as good and reliable? Do you like your x4 so far?
@@choisam20 That's a great question because the X4 is higher resolution, so you'd think that's the way to go. But the app finalizes video filmed on both cameras in 1440. I haven't looked into why and whether I just need to tweak as setting to get a higher resolution from the X4. It may just be wishful thinking the the X4 footage does look more crisp to me.
@@SkiBoyNY. thank you! I didn’t know they finalize that in the same 1440. X3 is plenty good enough for me but if I see a cheap X4, I might go for that instead. Thanks!!
Just wondering, but what camera did you use to get the 3rd person skiing videos? They look great!
@@dangaming1563 Thanks! I actually attach the invisible selfie stick to my helmet, either on the side or back depending on where the sun is. The selfie stick is 4 feet long, so it creates good distance for the camera.
@@SkiBoyNY.would’ve thought that putting it on your helmet would make it unstable but the videos show otherwise, thanks!
This skiing vlog was so exhilarating, it made me want to hit the slopes. New fan from Bangalore, stay in touch.
@@DailyPassenger Thanks so much for the wonderful comment. Hopefully if you ever hit the slopes, it'll be that fun! Maybe Gulmarg!
Thank you!!
Great ideas! I've mounted my 360 also at the front and at the back of my Snowboard. It generates another great angles and actions-shots with flying snow...
@@lichtschaffen I'm sure it's fire when you're in pow!
Really good review. 🤙🏼
Going there in a couple days and planning on skiing 6 days at valle, la parva and el colorado. Appreciate all the information it helped me plan the trip.
@@jperrine088 Perfect timing! They've gotten great snow this year so far.
I'm all about the spiritual experience of being on the slopes not the Apres.. looks great to me!
Love to connect and feature you on SportsEdTV! Cheers, Roberto
Beats the fuk out of Hunter Mountain though eh? Show them your AK Airlines boarding pass same day and get a free lift ticket.
Wow great video
love you thanks great video!
Pretty good video, camera work better than most. There are a couple of things I noticed that are questionable. Time 2:09 Vertical Drop. Val Gardena is 1282m not 1100m. “No larger than you find in the Northeast United States”. The least, 1226m is over 4000 ft, that’s way more than anything in the NE US. Time 5:15 “2 to 5 hours to complete the loop”. 2 hours? Maybe with zero lift lines and super fast skiing. Realistically 4 to 6 hours is a good estimate.
hey man! great content. How do you record yourself?
Former Alyeska Mtn Mngr here and your summary is pretty spot on. March is a good time to go as the days are longer, the sun aspect lights up the mtn better, the snow is deeper, less likelyhood of rain, and the outer areas like High-T, Silvertip Bowl, and Max's will open more regularly. Backcountry in Turnagain Pass is pretty point and shoot from the Seward Highway if you're rigged for a short drive and have a touring set up. Heli is alaways a good call but most opertaions don't begin until around Feb. Silverton will start early and go up high in the mtns near Seward. Winter King salmon fishing is another good option if you have a down day and doing a snowmobile tour out to Spencer glacier is a great time. Girdwood is a great little town and I loved my time there.
What camera and case you use for this 3rd person shots?
All of the action shots are with the Insta360 X3 and no case. Just the invisible selfie stick. The rest of the shots are with a smartphone.
Is it possible to go from Valle Nevado to El colorado? Nice videos!
Thanks! Yes, as long as there's sufficient snow, you can ski or board from Valle Nevado to El Colorado and back. Same with La Parva.
Did you go alone? I'm debating whether to go by myself or not.
Yes, on this trip, I went alone. I met others there who did the same thing. If you stay in one of the hotels, it may be much easier to meet others. It obviously helps to speak Spanish, but I don't and was still able to manage Santiago, Valle Nevado and La Parva well. The only language struggle I had was in La Parva.
thaaat was a trip down memory lane, i grew up there.
Somos mas. Q los derechos humamos y pinochet Chile es chile Y somos lo mejor de latinoamerica Grigooo....penca
You ain't done s&&t yet until you try the old 80's sawed off skis. Those were the bomb for speed, but you had to learn how to use them. Sawed off right behind the rear boot mount... way less drag = much more speed. But you have to learn to lean forward (instead of backward) and learn to turn differently. Then once you master that then you have to learn to ski on the inside edges going straight with your feet bent out to the sides. Edge skiing on sawed off 80s skis is fast.... real fast. That was fun.
Coolest place on earth
That hotel cost, YIKES. 😲 Even though it is full board I guess I won't be going, as it'd cast more to go there then Japan, and Japan is to dear for me.
@@Puzzoozoo Yes, and the cost is even more obscenely high this year with the price increases. Japan is tough to beat. Portillo is so unique and in my view, so much more beautiful than Hokkaido (Niseko and Rusutsu at least), that if I were going to go 10 times to Japan, I switch to 9 trips to Japan and once to Portillo. At current prices, I'm not sure I could justify more than once to Portillo since the snow is far less consistent than Japan.
Great video! Answered a lot of questions
Ur music sux
Hi which one maintains it's lifts better would be my question. Having some family there; I've seen the conditions of some of the WWII era buses.
@@Frank020 Good question. I didn't notice a difference in maintenance. Whatever they had seemed to be running, though one day the Tres Puntas button lift at Valle Nevado was not operating on a sunny day for some reason. Outside of that, it was more a question of which resort has more modern lifts. On that front, it's pretty even. When I was at Catedral pre-pandemic, itl had a tram and one high speed chairlift. The rest were older, slower chairlifts, with at least one T-bar at the base. Valle Nevado has a gondola and one high speed quad chairlift. The rest is a mix between T-bars/button lifts and older slower chairlifts. So for comfort, I think Catedral wins because it is primarily chairlifts, while Valle Nevado is at least 30% T-bars/button lifts. All was fully operational when I was at both resorts.
@@SkiBoyNY. Nice Thank you 👍. The most important thing is lots of powder. Lol.❄️ Does Chile deliver ?
Very easy to fly to santiago and go up to la parva, making it to valle nevado can take 4 hours
Los dos!!! Cada uno con sus bellezas únicas
Excellent video! You brought information that’s difficult to get. Thanks 🙏🏻
Thanks so much!
Finally a straightforward video on this. What town would you recommend staying that has some places walking distance to the Sellaronda?
Thanks! I'd recommend Corvara because it's a decent size, right on the Sellaronda and also provides access to beginner slopes if you have beginners with you. I think Colfosco and Selva Wolkenstein as well. There's also Arabba, though I didn't explore it.
Keystone has the longest green run in the area, but there’s really only like 3 green runs in the whole place. If you like groomed blues, keystone is really really fun with lots of options
Missed on a big opportunity by not playing Crystal Mountain by Death
Very cool video, thanks for making it! I'm headed to ski Portillo in August and wondering where else I should go. Do you know of any mountains in the area that have solid tree runs? Thanks!
Thanks so much! The closest resorts to Portillo that I'm aware of are Valle Nevado, La Parva and El Colorado, which are about a 3-4 hour drive from Portillo. You have to head back to Santiago from Portillo and into a different canyon to go to those resorts. All of the resorts are pretty much above the treeline, so I don't think you'll find a single tree run, let alone a solid one. I believe there's also Pircas in Argentina, which is about a 40 minute drive, but I haven't been there. it's very small and requires crossing the border.
let me tell you I made several times that road.. you made the right choice... you guys would be in a far worst scenario if had continued through that road... (Local here)
Great to know that we avoided a potential disaster!
what is your favourite one im going to treble cone and is there good park/ jumps there?
I prefer Cardrona and Treble Cone to Coronet Peak and the Remarkables, but they're much further from Queenstown. Tough to choose between them since they both have different strengths. Treble Cone didn't have anywhere close to the amount of terrain parks that Cardona had when I went, but Cardona has since bought Treble Cone, so maybe they've added good park elements. But Treble Cone has such better views and so much great terrain to explore.
R you going to catedral this year? There’s a TON of snow!!
I wish! But I'm actually going to Las Lenas, which also has a ton of snow, so I'm not complaining!
@@SkiBoyNY. yeah, ton of snow… I wish you booked piscis or any of the top hotels.. Las leñas was built in the 70s and NEVER updated :(.. don’t get me wrong it’s fun, but don’t expect new things.. we can say it’s Vintage…
@@GerDarioOtero I actually booked an apartment rental that looks like it has been renovated, but yes, I am expecting it to be vintage! I'm excited to visit because I learned about Las Lenas as a kid and it was the first time I realized that there is skiing outside of North America and Europe.
@@SkiBoyNY. awesome, I’m based in Buenos Aires actually, Las leñas is a different xp compared to any of the other resorts.. it’s above the tree level (~1700m), so no woods there, it’s an alpine like skiing.. specially for your snowboarding friend, get ready for some Poma lifts and Tbars.. I know there’s some good heliski there too!
Thank you so much for this review. I’m an argentinian who is living in Miami now, and every time anybody asks me where to go in Argentina I always say Bariloche. For me that place is almost magical.
I agree! I think Bariloche may be the most beautiful resort I've been to. Some of the views of the lakes and jagged mountains when the sun was low and the light was disbursed by light cloud cover, I'll never forget it.
Temporada 2023, foi bem ruim de neve.. Nevou mais no final de agosto que julho ... Este ano está sendo maior quantidade de neve últimos 21 anos...
Qué loco, ¿verdad? Me alegro que haya tanta nieve ahora. Espero que todos salgan a disfrutarlo. ¡Estaré allí en un mes!
Excelent video my man, congrats! Make a review of Cerro Castor please, if you been there already
Thanks! I haven't been to Cerro Castor yet, but plan to go and make a review the next time I visit Bariloche!
Great information!
Great review! Thanks!
Very Informative, Bravo !
Thanks so much!
Keystone, not even really close. Palli is fantastic, but I get bored after 3 days in A Basin, never bored with the huge variety of Keystone terrain. Breck is fine, Horseshoe Bowl is great, and lots of bars. But my god, what a sh..show.
The Zoo (Rusutsu) as we know it is a purpose built ski resort which means the Gondolas run up valleys and are protected from the wind. If you are in Niseko and its blown out, jump on a bus and get yourself to The Zoo. On a powder day it is arguably better than Niseko and definitely better on a Niseko windy day. Pretty good introduction video. Well done. I normally don't spend more than two days at The Zoo per season but that's because I always have a Season Pass at Niseko United.
What's the cam are you use? max 360?
I used the Insta360 X3 in this video, with their invisible selfie stick attached to my helmet in some shots and my ski pole in others.
Where do you have your cam connected to when your skiing to give you that angle?
I use a 360 camera attached to an invisible selfie stick that I then attach to my helmet. Typically on the back or side of the helmet. It makes it a bit difficult to ski, but it can give you some pretty good shots. I explain it a bit here: czcams.com/video/fhU9Z9lhzQs/video.html