Tierra Patagonia

During the construction of Tierra Patagonia, in order to mitigate their impact on the land, landscapers worked strenuously to remove the native plant species, nurture them in a greenhouse and later successfully replant them in the surrounding areas. Today, guanacos, rheas, rabbits and foxes are attracted to the hotel by this recovered pampa for which they have a care plan to respect and protect area species. Their gardens include autochthonous species such as coirón, senecio, nirre, calafate and mata negra. Because they are located so close to Torres del Paine National Park, they are increasingly concerned about the safety and protection of the area’s wildlife. For this reason, in 2019 they discontinued their excursion to the cornices, because the route passed through a puma protection area within the Cerro Guido Ranch. Likewise, during their annual “Guides School”, they place added emphasis on training for the protection of wildlife, particularly in terms of birds.

Tierra Patagonia works on a daily basis to make their cuisine from ingredients native to each region. The importance of local cuisine is immeasurable and they always try to highlight this legacy and pass it on to their guests. They strive to fill their menus with fresh products, most of which arrive to the table directly from their own gardens.

Tierra Patagonia’s one-of-a-kind location is across from Sarmiento Lake and outside of Torres del Paine National Park. This inspires their commitment to the protection of the environment and reducing their footprint as much as possible. In terms of electricity, this hotel has three diesel generators, which take turns to meet the hotel’s electricity requirements. From the beginning, it has been important to heat the hotel in an energy efficient way due to Patagonia’s climate. Today, the hotel’s heating system consists of three, energy-efficient Blowtherm boilers, which consume 350 KV each, and are turned on alternately. These boilers provide heating and hot water for the hotel and its facilities. Their operation uses machines, thermo-panel windows and low light and heat settings in order to conserve resources. As part of their continuous improvement, a gas boiler was installed in 2019 to meet the requirements of the dishwashers. In 2019, sixteen solar panels with a battery bank were installed in the staff residence of Tierra Patagonia. These inject clean energy into their electricity matrix. This innovation is part of a pilot program that, if successful, will be replicated in the hotel’s facilities.

100% of the water at Tierra Patagonia is obtained from their well and is treated by their water chlorination plant, offering them their own independent supply. Their guest rooms facilities contain dual-flush tanks and all guest room faucets feature flow aerators, reducing the hotel’s total water consumption by 20%. During 2018, showerhead economizers were installed as well. They use cutting-edge technology to maintain their pool water. Thereby, prolonging the use of 106 m3 of water before changing it. Their laundry room contains three front-loading, industrial washing machines for 18 to 23 kg loads of laundry with a water consumption of 191 liters per cycle. They use a variety of wash-cycle options as needed, always prioritizing efficiency. They have eight collection sinks for rainwater owing from their green spaces via drains. This hotel also has an Ecosystem water treatment plant, which allows them to reuse grey water for irrigation. Their irrigation system features sprinklers and drip-irrigation devices that optimize water use.

Tierra Patagonia separates all waste to instill the habit in hotel workers. Currently, cardboard and bottles are recycled. Additionally, during 2019 they added 10 one-cubic-meter containers to hold glass, plastic bottles, cans, bags, cardboard and general waste. Hazardous waste is retrieved, according to requirements, by the company Vialimpia in coordination with the maintenance team. Furthermore, this year they began the development of a collection center for hazardous waste in the staff residence area.