Review: Explora Hotel Rapa Nui, Easter Island

Great review of the hotel! I am looking forward to the review of the excursions. Too bad about the subpar breakfast. I don't need a fancy breakfast spread, but I don't see bacon as a standalone option in the buffer or menu. That's really substandard.

"Which is reasonable for a hotel of this caliber"

Uhm am I missing something here? What caliber are we talking about?
The whole hotel looks to be at an average 4* standard - so totally overpriced. I am having trouble finding anything attractive in the included pictures...
I have stayed in tons of better looking hotels for a true fraction of the price.

I know costs are high on Easter Island because of the need to fly almost everything in. But a rack rate of $2500 per person is beyond comprehension. I was on Easter Island about 15 months ago for 4 nights in a nice local hotel. I had a guide, and airport transfers. I ate at pleasant local places. I spent less than $1500 for the whole trip, including business class air from Santiago.
I recognize that you are in the business of reviewing luxury hotels. I’m surprised you could recommend this place given the breakfast fail and the exorbitant price.

I agree with the comments above. I was on Easter Island in August and my hotel was also 10 minutes from the airport. On foot (even though I got a free pick-up and drop-off). Entire town is accessible on foot so lots of easy opportunities to venture out and explore. It cost me $150/night and it was beautiful. Free, good, breakfast and I could choose to eat anywhere on the island which allowed me to have an opportunity to have dinner with Matt Dillon (yes, that one) and his girlfriend. Twice. One was in an amazing Japanese restaurant that you should have tried, it was outstanding. Got a guide for 2 days for $90/day who was absolutely amazing as well. $3,400 for three nights is still a terrible value given all the opportunities on the island. To anyone considering Easter Island, I would choose other, much cheaper accommodations.

Seems like a total ripoff even with the discount. Why can't they smooth put the drive close-in to their property? Why are you left sitting in a van for 30 minutes for others when you were ready to go and the hotel is only 10 minutes away? They were only half full but you didn't get an upgrade. Were they expecting walk-ins? 350 square feet is completely average size for a hotel room. Nothing luxurious or extra about there. I realize the decor us site specific, but the public areas are much more inviting and comfy looking than your room. It seems like a treatment center rather than a resort room. There also appears to be plenty of land available so that small room size was by design and not necessity. Terrible looking breakfast which except for the fresh juices looks like any budget motel (a lot of toast and cereal). You'd also think for $1,300 a day they could throw in at least 1 massage, but I guess not.
Nothing in your room looks comfortable. Those wicker chairs? No thanks. Good to see they have sofas and pillows in the lobby.
And how much do Pisco Sours and Cappuccinos usually run you two when you travel? $400...$500 a day? Otherwise I don't see the value in that either. Having all three meals every day in the hotel might be easy, but it sure seems to limit your exposure to the rest of the island after touring.
In my eye it appears like you saw a special price and went for it, and then had to justify to yourself that it was worth it.

Is the Beetle Risotto on the menu exactly what it sounds like?

Benjamin,

I understand you do not have a choice - but Ford ripped you off with a commission in mind. You are probably the only person to believe he is a guru of anything.

I think they bought that courtesy van when the Best Western was finished with it.

As always, this was a wonderful review. I truly appreciated the attention to detail. However, I am disappointed that neither of our boys tried the beetle risotto.

Lucky thanks for the review which is informative as usual. I’ve been looking at Easter Island as a destination for some time, so this is useful. However I am struggling to wrap my head around how this hotel is worth the money (even on the special, let alone rack rate).

Does it come across as much more luxurious in person? In the photos nothing about the finishes, the facilities or even the food looks super premium (the food and menu looks like good quality but fairly standard upscale South American fare?). I would never expect a massive marble-and-gilt palace style of decor on Easter Island but come on...Paired with the terrible breakfast experience and lack of free spa treatments I just can’t see where the value comes in...

As some others have commented I would also be furious at a price point of ~1,100 USD/night if I was kept waiting for half an hour in a van at the airport so they could collect other guests.

@Jan

Maybe you missed it, the hotel isn't located in New York it's on Easter Island....

Makes a lot of sense comparing prices when you look at it that way

Lucky you stated that you didnt spend any more money during your stay except the inhouse massage.
Correct me if im wrong, but you and your companion didnt try any other restaurants or eateries on the island nor did you buy any souvenirs?
How do the local people benefit directly apart from the inhouse guides. This sounds just bizarre. On one hand frugal and cheap while on the other hand pretentious and showy.
I just dont get it.

Good for you that you’re raking in money with this blog. But you’re so far off the original purpose of it, maybe use 2018 to simple rebrand as “first class life in pictures”. All those first class PAID emirates etc tickets, the $1500 a night hotel. Like really? Do you think that’s appropriate anymore?

What will you do once the blog money dries out btw? Do you think you can go back to a normal lifestyle? Just curious.

My $50 booking.com offered private airport pickups with lei, reduced Jeep rentals and personalized recommendations. Total cost for three days was like $300-500 for two people, it was little so didn't count.

You got ripped off majorly

Why do you always make the same mistake, when there isn't any chain hotel? Guess 90% of us would get a better value for money when planing this trip...and you do that full-time! Are you forced to always book the best (in your opinion the most expensive) property? Seems so....

Ben: Your review of the Explora Lodge once again proves to me that you are amazingly thorough and very good at what you do; as a world traveler I usually really appreciate your information.
In the case of the Explora Lodge, where I have stayed a number of times, I must say that you "missed the boat." For a short time it was considered "the best on the island" and even then I preferred to stay in a less "luxurious" place in a better location. I have never met the owner of the chain but I imagine it to be a person with a huge overblown ego. As some one noticed, it really is not that luxurious and yes, the rates are "way over the top" ~ the renovated Hanga Roa is infinitely better and in a fabulous location, near the town and the harbor (NOT in the middle of nowhere). Their own supposedly "superb local guides" are very average, I prefer any of the scholars who reside on the island (where I have been going very frequently since the 70's).
The food is good but nothing justifies the extremely high rates (in my view).
I really hope that you will try some other places on this fabulous island next time!!!!

Boy, tough crowd!

You missed so much by isolating at Explora. What a pity. Spending extra should have bought you a richer experience but I’m afraid you got taken this time

doesn't nickel and dime? you paid a fricking $1,125 per night...

My, how Easter Island has changed. When I was there, your hotel was not built. The hotel restaurant that I went to had only 2 entrees and only one of them was served each day. They said that beef was completely unavailable on the island because the last cow had been slaughtered a year or so earlier.

At that time, there was no surgeon on the island but the island doctor said it was possible to do an appendectomy using horse anesthesia. If you needed your gallbladder out, you would be flown to the mainland.

All of the above, I am not joking.

@David and Imperator - It's a mistranslation. That's a beet risotto, not beetle.

Why are there sunglasses on the floor in the lunch room photo? Just wondering. Seems like an odd place to store them.

What about the Hanga Roa Eco Lodge? Seems like a better value--and better located--than the Explora.

@tda
Thanks, I was hoping they wouldn’t be serving beetle risottos. If they were, I would question what’s in the rest of the food.

What a tourist trap. There are plenty of perfectly passable hotels in Hanga Roa that are walking distance of Moais (and cost 1/10th of what you paid) -- the Ahu Tahai is a sight to see at sunset. You also get to meet the locals, which is an experience in itself, and eat at some very interesting restaurants.

You travelled all the way there and you ended up at a generic tourist-trap place in the middle of nowhere. I expected better.

@Chris Jensen

They're take was by the window. If you look in the previous photos you see there's a wooden ledge next to the tables for two. That's where (Ford's) sunglasses are laid. 🙂

If Four Seasons, Mandarin, Aman, or Awasi set up shop at this island, problems with breakfast or miserable looking finishes would be taken care of. But since this island is in the middle of nowhere and luxury competition is next to none, Explora will have to make do. Will be heading out to this Explora soon. Preparing for the worse. Need to check off Easter Island off my bucket list. Look forward to better stays on mainland South America or better yet, resorts in South East Asia where service standard, food, and room finishes is higher with similar price point or lower. Thanks for the review Lucky. When u go to Patagonia, stick with Awasi, better product and better food.

I stayed at the Explora Atacama which looks very similar to this property with the same issues. The guides were fabulous but the rooms were basic and the food was mediocre. The property charged way too much money for what it offered.

Would the people who commented who were happy with their guides and hotels mind posting the details?

Lord - they saw y'all a coming with "sucker" written on your foreheads!! Also, that room looks sterile, cold and uninviting. Thanks for the review and reaffirming that I certainly won't be getting ripped off by staying at the Explora should I ever go to Easter Island.

I'm with the other comments, for someone who travels so much, you do a really poor job at maximizing value

Thanks for the amazing review! After reading this we booked our flights to Easter Island tough we will try Hanga Roa Ecovillage, as it is privately owned and therefore attracted me slightly more, also because as you said explora is very expensive.

You are truly a very irresponsible journalist, if I should even give you that honor & privilege!
Perhaps I should call you a freeloader!
You get crappy over priced hotel rooms like this for free and then advertise for them, completely irresponsible and self-centered of you for your personal gain!
At least I tell people to use points to stay at 5 star properties in Kuala Lumpur for free, or to stay at 4/5 star boutique hotels in Siem Reap (Residence 101 & Grand Elysee La Residence) for $50 dollars per night with dinner & massage included or go on a 4 day boat trip to Southern part of Turkey with meals for $200 bucks, stay at gorgeous Riads in Chefchaouen, Taghazout, Essouirra for $50 dollars per night, all inclusive with home made Pancakes and bakery and freshly squeezed orange juice in Morocco.
Stay at the gorgeous Le Meridien in Marrakesh for 2000 SPG points for a weekend night & experience a real palace like environment, get treated by the front desk manager Fatima like royalty and get amazing service from Mr. Saeed who has been the hotel porter for 43 years and remembers every single time you have stayed there, which room and your preferences.
Please be a responsible blogger and not a self centered person just for your personal gains because you like to stay at luxury hotels and fly first class, but of course you do not have to pay out of your own pocket, everything is at other people's expenses. You would never pay 3k or 5 K with your airfare included for a weekend. I like to know if you claim that you do, where do you get the money for it?
Nobody in their right mind will pay 5k for a 3 night trip to Easter Island, in a crappy hotel which should not cost over $70 dollars per night and on a crappy airline that I can not even justify to use my airline miles on, needless to stay to pay real cash for it!
We all, do not buy your bluff and lies on the net...