Refugia Chiloé returns

March 26, 2025

Santiago, Chile

The Purcell family is delighted to announce that the hotel currently known as Tierra Chiloé is returning to their full ownership and its original name. 

Refugia Chiloé is a luxury hotel and spa offering guests an oasis of beauty and calm where they can reconnect with themselves and others far away from the craziness of the world today. The hotel is located on Chiloé island, a green and lush, hilly and wild place, surrounded by a sea full of marine life, just off the central coast of Chile. Refugia Chiloé's beautiful architecture exudes warmth and local authenticity with 24 wood-clad guestrooms, elegant yet casual interior design and walls of windows overlooking the bay, tides, birdlife and green hillsides of the archipelago. Refugia Chiloé is open seasonally from the beginning October to early May.

Chilean luxury hotel Refugia Chiloé  is now fully owned and operated by the Purcell family, Chilean-Americans from Santiago, with a long history at the very top of the Chilean hospitality industry. Led today by Miguel Purcell, the family will bring back their personal touch, expertise and success in hospitality. They are dedicated to conservation, and one of their strategic pillars for Refugia Chiloé is the conservation of Chiloé island, its culture, and community.

The family has been the owner/operators of Ski Portillo in Chile ever since Henry Purcell arrived in Chile in 1961, and they are the founders and developers of Tierra Hotels. In 2022, the Purcells sold their majority interest in Tierra Hotels to KSL/Baillies Lodges, but in October 2024, they bought back 100% control of Tierra Chiloé.

Tierra Chiloé will officially change its name to Refugia Chiloé on April 30, 2025, a return to the original name of the hotel. Built in 2012 by Mobil Arquitectos, Antonio Lipthay and Patricio Browne, the early Refugia hotel was sold in 2014 to Tierra Hotels, becoming Tierra Chiloé, and then underwent a major expansion by the same architects. 

The Purcells and the Refugia team hope to share the land, sea, and hotel magic of Chiloé island with guests for years to come, creating experiences and memories that are deeply rejuvenating and happy.  

General Manager Miguel Purcell says:

“Our passion is to be able to connect people from all over the world with this special destination, its nature, diversity of landscapes, and its culture. We want each person to live the spirit of the island of Chiloé and experience this exceptional destination that shows the best of Chile.”

Key positives of new ownership / what's new?

• The Purcell family and team are experienced owners and operators of luxury hotels in Chile, using a personal touch, flexibility with guests, and conservationist sensibility.
• More realistic rates without dynamic pricing which hurts trade partners.
• Prices will be per person pricing for double rooms and suites, with a separate price for single occupancy (singles will no longer have to pay two times the double rate). 
• Families and children are welcome at Refugia Chiloé. Family stays are thoughtfully planned to ensure the enjoyment of all guests. Childrens´ excursions and activities available.
• No minimum stay.
• Transfers for Full Experience guests are included from MHC/Castro or from the Puerto Montt/PMC airport. No minimum stay is required for the transfers.
• There will be three new categories of stay starting Oct 1, 2025: 

1. Full Experience - Includes accommodation • full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner) • open bar • excursions in small groups with other guests (2 half day or one full day excursion daily) • use of hotel & spa facilities • 1 x 30 minute massage at the spa, per person paying adult rate • transfer to/from Castro Airport (MHC) or Puerto Montt Airport (PMC).
2. Stay and Dine  - (may be good for company retreats, weddings, special events and guests with rental cars) Includes accommodation • full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner) • open bar with house drinks • use of hotel & spa facilities (excursion menu is available with a la carte pricing).  Does not include transfers or excursions. 
3. Bed & Breakfast - (may be good for Chilean guests with cars and or friends on the island) Includes accommodation and breakfast.  Does not include other meals, transfers or excursions.

Guest Experience at Refugia Chiloé

Guests at Refugia Chiloé are treated with friendly attention to their individual needs. Guests may participate in the following guided excursions, included in the Full Experience rate:

+nature walks

+hiking

+forest-bathing

+horseback-riding

+biking and e-biking

+sea kayaking

+stand-up paddle

+bird-watching, sealife viewing

+visits to unique island cultural sites, markets, farms

+visits to the many UNESCO protected churches of Chiloé

+boat tours on the the Williche

+children's excursions are available (versions of the above).

Wellness Activities

Guests may also take part in a variety of wellness activities, nature-bathing, meditation, gardening, harvesting clams or cooking with the chef. 

Private excursions 

By hydroplane, heli or private van may be arranged at an extra cost such as fly-fishing, diving, and flyovers or flybys of the Corcovado Volcano, Pumalín Park, or Tantauco Park, private picnics. These require advance planning.

The Wiliche - Refugia Chiloé's Wooden Boat 

The Williche, Refugia's very own iconic yellow and black wooden boat is available for flagship excursions. On the water there's the opportunity to see birds, dolphins, and with luck, whales and penguins. The Williche carries kayaks for more adventures, and visits the tiny islands of the archipelago where people live by farming or fishing and where the unique Chilote culture remains strong and the UNESCO churches are the local centerpiece.

Refugia Chiloé is a location hotel with large windows overlooking the bay, the Pullao wetlands and its seabirds, the archipelago of smaller islands, and the volcanoes of the Andes Mountain Range. Guests can walk the grounds, go to the stables, the gardens or to the beach to watch the tides ebb and flow and the Williche rock gently along its dock. 

The Spa at Refugia: Wellness is at the heart of Refugia Chiloé, and the luxury spa will delight and relax guests with both indoor and outdoor pools, a full menu of treatments, a shell-shaped sauna and a steam room with twinkly starlights. Built with stone and wood design, the Spa at Refugia reflects the hotel ́s philosophy of being true to the place of Chiloé. The natural elements of the spa, like the hotel itself, make Refugia Chiloé a place that will bathe and refresh the souls and minds of all guests. 

Pantuflas / Slippers

Every guest is treated to their own pair of locally knitted slippers. Local people spend their winters knitting Chilote wool slippers, or pantuflas, which each guest will find waiting for them in their room. These lovely slippers provide work in the “off-season” periods and help to keep the traditional weaving and crafts alive. 

Why stay at Refugia Chiloé?

1. Destination Chiloé Island and Archipelago - Undiscovered, Unique Beauty, History & Culture: Chiloé is an island and archipelago off the Pacific coast of Chile not far from Puerto Montt. While little-known outside of Chile, it is beloved by Chileans, and this secret gem has much to offer visitors. The land is lush and green and the sea around it is filled with life including shellfish waiting to be harvested for dinner. The culture of the Chiloé archipelago is uniquely based on ancient and ancestral island myths, but also coastal adventures and shipwrecks, as retold in the historical bestseller, The Wager. Chiloé is full of friendly, artistic people, many of whom are indigenous, who have generations of recipes, arts, crafts, legends and local industries. It is home to 16 UNESCO world-heritage 17th - 19th century wood-shingled churches. 
2. Travel Planning:  Chiloé is a centerpiece destination for long-distance travellers. Five night stays at Refugia Chiloé are recommended. Refugia Chiloé is easily reached from Santiago by a two hour flight to Castro Mocopulli airport (MHC). A visit to Chiloé combines well with visits to Puerto Varas or Puerto Montt (airport is PMC)  in the Lake District, or Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales in the Torres del Paine region of Southern Patagonia. Refugia Chiloé's season runs from Oct 1 to the beginning of May.  
3. Enjoy, renew and have fun - Refugia Chiloé is a luxury adventure and spa hotel offering guests from Chile and around the world an oasis of beauty and calm where they can reconnect with themselves, others and nature. Refugia's remarkable architecture exudes warmth and local authenticity with wood-clad guestrooms and gorgeous but casual interior design. Throughout a stay at Refugia Chiloé, guests may be quiet or active, experiences here can be profound and essential, yet also adventurous, energetic, light-hearted, calming and fun. Refugia Chiloé is open from early October to May and during these months all the weeks are equally good for guests. 
4. Family-Owned & Family Friendly - Refugia Chiloé is family-owned and operated with know-how, care and love by the Purcell family. The American Chilean family has been offering skiing vacations in Chile since 1961, when Henry Purcell first arrived from New York to run Ski Portillo in the high Andes Mountains. Since 2002, Miguel Purcell has led Ski Portillo and the founding, development and operations of the family of Tierra Hotels in Chile. Miguel is now at the helm of Refugia Chiloé and Ski Portillo. Refugia Chiloé welcomes couples, groups of friends, solo travelers, and also companies and affinity groups. Families with children are also warmly welcomed. Children will find many fun and fascinating outdoor and indoor activities and parents may be happy to see their children disengage from electronics. The hotel appreciates all guests and the team understands that holidays are significant, valuable and sacred moments, creating memories to be cherished forever. Refugia Chiloé takes that seriously and it is the hotel team's pleasure to help guests celebrate an occasion or make the very most out of a visit. 
5. Sustainable - YES! - Refugia Chiloé is committed to protecting the environment, community and culture of Chiloé island. The Purcell family and team have always cared about the Earth, people and climate, avoiding single-use plastics, plastic bottles or straws, hiring local people, and supporting their organizations and causes. Refugia Chiloé was designed to optimise natural resources. Using local techniques, the exterior is clad in wooden shingles to ensure a low level of heat loss, there is extremely efficient lighting, the hotel has its own water treatment plant, and two biomass boilers. Recognizing that guests enjoy making donations to important local causes where they travel, Refugia Chiloé is developing options for guests staying from October 2025, including support for the renovation of the Chilote wooden churches, artisan wool-workers, and the conservation of Chiloé's many wetlands. Refugia Chiloé, like its sister hotel resort Ski Portillo which hosts the Portillo Music Academy and Festival every January, supports the development of classical musicians in Chile. Refugia invites guests to help us provide instruments to schools for the young children to learn music. Please bring any violins, clarinets, or other musical instruments that you would like to donate to the schoolchildren of Chiloé.
6. Dining - Delicious & local - Chiloé has a tasty and exciting food culture which we cherish and honor at Refugia. The head chef, Francisco Castañeda, is a culinary artist who creates menus and dishes using ancient recipes and featuring the abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables, seafoods and meat available on the island. Cuisine is farm-to-table and sea-to-table, with veggies sourced from the hotel's own garden and nearby farms. One not-to-miss meal is the Curanto, a clambake made with local clams, sausages, potatoes and soup. Curantos have been cooked in the earth on the island for thousands of years. Foodies can gather clams at the shore in front of the hotel, harvest sea urchins and other shellfish from the bay via Refugia's Williche boat, or look for the beautiful local produce by visiting the food markets, fairs, farms and nearby producers. 
7. Excursions - Discover the island, discover yourself. Refugia Chiloé offers a yin-yang set of activities: outdoor adventures that are physical and other activities that are quieter and more reflective. There are many outside activities including hiking, biking, e-biking, horseback riding, kayaking, stand-up paddle and nature walks. Guests may complement their active time by enjoying the remote nature and slower pace of life on the island. A stay on Chiloé invites contemplation and inner peace. The views from the living room and guest rooms are soul-soothing.  Wellness activities include nature-bathing, visits to the gardens and the corral, walks in nature, spa time and treatments, and time spent viewing the green plantlife on the property or the many birds on the tidal bay shore. Private extra excursions by hydroplane or helicopter are available with advanced planning  including fly-fishing, private picnics, or flybys and flyovers of local parklands, the Corocovado Volcano, or the dramatic Patagonian coast.
8. Williche - The pride of the island and icon of Refugia Chiloé. Williche is Refugia's iconic yellow and black wooden boat. This strikingly lovely boat was built by hand by local boat builders and is a work of art in itself. Guests embark on voyages hoping to see wildlife (dolphins, sea lions, and sometimes penguins) and with curiosity to visit the tiny islands and fiords of the archipelago where people live by farming or fishing and where the unique Chilote culture remains strongly centered around the local UNESCO churches built in a combination of European and indigenous architectural design. Guests can also kayak off the Williche or harvest shellfish. The Williche is often the place for private guest celebrations including romantic dinners, family dinners, birthday parties, and team-building company events. 
9. Refugia Spa - Wellness is everything. The Refugia Spa is elegantly designed around themes of rock and water and personal peace. It offers indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna bath designed like the inside of a shell, a steambath with glittery specks of light, and personal massage and facial treatments to lift and also calm the spirit. Swim, soak, sauna, enjoy a steambath, massage or facial. Go home healthier and happier, deeply relaxed. Wellness is at the heart of a stay at Refugia.

Guest journey - How to get there?

The island of Chiloé is a remote place yet easy to get to. It is located off the coast of Chile not far from Puerto Montt at the intersection of the Chilean Lake District and northern Chilean Patagonia. Flight time from Santiago to the Castro (on Chiloé Island) airport is two hours. The hotel is a 30-minute drive from the Castro airport. For our Full Experience programme, guests will be picked up and transported to the hotel in time for lunch. Booking is simple and straightforward. The reservation team is friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. From finding the website, through booking, arrival, stay, and departure Refugia wants your guest experience to be enjoyable and easy. 

Accommodation:

Pullao Rooms: (34 m²/306 sq.ft.) offer panoramic views of the sea and the Pullao tidal bay, furniture and textiles made locally by artisans, and bathrooms with tub, shower and windows. Pullao rooms may be connected.

Rilán Rooms: (30 m²/270 sq.ft.) offer views of the sea and meadow sloping down to the sea to the dockhome of the lovely hotel boat, the Williche.

Suites: ( m²/360 sq. ft. and 52 m²/468 sq.ft.) offer luxurious rooms clad in wood with grand views of the sea.Our suites include bedroom and sitting room on two floors, plus a spacious and very comfortable bathroom with shower, tub, good-sized window and luxurious amenities.

Reservations:

Reservations department: 

reservations@refugiachiloe.com or by phone to + 569 3264 5925  

Hotel contact:

info@refugiachiloe.com, reservas@refugiachiloe.com, marketing@refugiachiloe.com

Hotel website:

www.refugiachiloe.com 

Hotel address:

Refugia Chiloé, San José Playa, Castro, Chiloé, Chile

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Notes to Editors

Refugia Chiloé is a luxury hotel on the island of Chiloe, located off the South-Central Pacific Coast of Chile at the intersection of Chile's Lake District and northern Patagonia. Perched atop a hill overlooking the archipelago, Refugia offers panoramic views of Pullao Bay and the inland sea. Refugia Chiloé's architecture combines local tradition with contemporary design, culminating in an inspiring retreat that respects and honours the pristine surroundings. Created by the Purcell Family, who are famous for offering fine hospitality and stunning architecture in outstanding natural settings, Refugia Chiloé is distinguished for a guest experience that delivers legendary South American hospitality, tailored adventure, wellness and cultural experiences, on land and at sea. Every day at Refugia Chiloé is an open invitation to explore and discover its landscapes, seascapes, gastronomy, birds and traditions and thereby to reconnect with nature, friends, family and oneself.  www.refugiachiloe.com

Full Experience Prices From:

£675 per person, per night based on a couple sharing a double Rillan room £1349 per room per night  OR £769 Refugia single occupancy rate. 

Spirit of Chile Package 

Stays of five nights or more are entitled to special rates of 10% off the published rates and a special welcome amenity.

Full Experience Rate Includes: 

Full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner).• open bar.• Excursions in small groups with other guests (2 half day or one full day excursion daily).• Use of hotel & spa facilities.• 1 massage at the spa, per person paying an adult rate.• Transfer to/from Castro Airport (MHC) or Puerto Montt Airport (PMC).

Not included:

Specially arranged excursions and transfers, telephone, laundry, store expenses, tips and other items.

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