Accommodations

In addition to current hotel prices, the Secretaría de Turismo keeps a register of rental apartments on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. In peak season, most hotels charge double rates even for a single guest. Hotel occupancy is high, but the summer trend is toward apartment complexes, as people come here to spend two weeks on the beach.

In addition to these options, Madryn [1] has a number of reasonably priced hostels for shoestring travelers.

US$25–50

On the Punta Cuevas road, the wooded 800-site Camping ACA (tel. 02965/45-2952, www.acamadryn.com.ar [2], US$13 for 2 persons) offers discounts to members and affiliates.

Most accommodations in this range are hostels, with simple exceptions such as Hotel del Centro (28 de Julio 149, tel. 02965/47-3742, US$13–17 s, US$22–24 d), Hotel Vaskonia (25 de Mayo 43, tel. 02965/47-2581, mariaandrade [at] infovia [dot] com [dot] ar, US$21 s, US$26 d), and Hotel Mora (Juan B. Justo 654, tel. 02965/47-1424, www.morahotel.com.ar [3], US$40 d).

Only half a block from the beach, Israeli favorite Chepatagonia Hostel (Alfonsina Storni 16, tel. 02965/45-5783, www.chepatagoniahostel.com.ar [4], US$11 pp dorm, US$34–39 d) is an independent hostel with mostly dorm accommodations, but it’s spotless and pleasant.

Though a little farther from the beach, El Retorno Hostel (Mitre 798, tel. 02965/45-6044, www.elretornohostel.com.ar [5], US$10–16 pp dorm, US$34 d) has more private rooms in a beautifully appointed place.

The Spartan Petit Residencial (Marcelo T. de Alvear 845, tel. 02965/45-1460, hotelpetit [at] arnet [dot] com [dot] ar, US$33 s, US$39 d) is a friendly place with small motel-style rooms and ample parking; breakfast costs US$2 more.

Freshly modernized, set among pleasing gardens, the motel-style Hostel Viajeros (Gobernador Maíz 545, tel. 02965/45-6457, www.hostelviajeros.com [6], US$13 pp dorm, US$29 s, US$42 d) is an amiable place with dorms, legitimate single rooms, and doubles with private baths.

Madryn [1]’s HI affiliate is the exceptional El Gualicho Hostel (Marcos A. Zar 480, tel. 02965/45-4163, www.elgualichohostel.com.ar [7], US$13 pp dorm, US$58 d with private bath). Comfortably furnished and attractively decorated, it also has a shady patio that encourages socializing.

Set back from the busy avenue, centrally located Residencial Manolo’s (Avenida Roca 763, tel. 02965/47-2390, manolos [at] speedy [dot] com [dot] ar, US$37 s, US$45 d) has firm beds but slightly cramped rooms.

US$50–100

Rates have stabilized at tranquil Hotel Aguas Mansas (José Hernández 51, tel. 02965/47-3103, www.aguasmansas.com [8], US$58 s, US$63 d), a pleasant contemporary place on a residential block but still close to the beach.

Though its smallish rooms don’t get many style points, the homey, well-kept Hotel Carrera (Marcos A. Zar 844, tel. 02965/45-0759, www.hotelcarrera.com.ar [9], US$53 s, US$68 d) offers personalized service in a quiet neighborhood, with a very decent breakfast to boot. The well-located Hotel Gran Madryn (Lugones 40, tel. 02965/47-2205, www.granmadryn.com [10], US$46–51 s, US$57–69 d) is comparable.

Re-creating the style of Madryn’s early Welsh houses, but with contemporary comforts, Hotel Bahía Nueva (Avenida Roca 67, tel./fax 02965/45-1677, www.bahianueva.com.ar [11], US$57 s, US$73 d) also has spacious gardens and ample parking in a central beachfront location.

While it may have improved, prices at the Costanera Hotel (Almirante Brown 759, tel. 02965/45-3000, www.patagoniaargentina.com.ar [12], US$82–92 s, US$92–106 d) have risen even more, and it primarily relies on its convenient beachfront location.

Over US$100

All of Madryn’s top-end hotel follow the unfortunate policy of charging foreigners more, often substantially more, than they do Argentines.

Hotel Playa (Avenida Roca 181, tel. 02965/45-1446, www.playahotel.com.ar [13], 102 s or d) draws its character from its age. Hotel Península Valdés (Avenida Roca 155, tel. 02965/47-1292, www.hotelpeninsula.com.ar [14], US$70–134 s or d) has fine standard rooms, but spectacular ocean views make the larger panoramic rooms worth consideration.

Though well-established and central, Hotel Tolosa (Roque Sáenz Peña 253, tel. 02965/47-1850, www.hoteltolosa.com.ar [15], US$135–155 s or d) is not as good as some cheaper places.

Facing the beach, Hotel Yenehue (Avenida Roca 33, tel. 02965/47-1496, yenehue [at] australis [dot] com [dot] ar, www.australiset.com.ar [16], US$140–190 s, US$156–212 d) is a spa hotel with high-rise ocean views from the rooms that front on the avenue. In addition to saunas, massage, and other treatments (which are open to nonguests), amenities include a restaurant, Wi-Fi, and good disabled access.