Where to Stay in El Calafate — Best Hotels for the Perito Moreno Glacier
Curated by Our Guild Explorers · Updated August 2026
Almost nobody comes to El Calafate for El Calafate. They come for the Perito Moreno Glacier, about eighty kilometres away — and that distance is the same from every hotel in this guide, so choose your hotel for the town, not the glacier. The town is built on a slope running down to Lago Argentino. Avenida del Libertador is the main street and holds nearly all the restaurants; a hotel on or just off it means you can walk to dinner. Everything further out — and some very good hotels are further out — means a shuttle, a taxi or a car every evening. Most of the out-of-town hotels run a free shuttle, and we have said so where they do. Below are our picks by style, each with a Book Me link straight to Trip.com.
Luxury
Lakeside, with the space and the views — but check the shuttle before you book.
Xelena Hotel & Suites
A five-star on the shore of Lago Argentino, about 1.8 kilometres from the main street, rated 8.9 out of 10. There is a lift, an indoor pool and a full spa, and the lake is at the bottom of the garden. A free shuttle runs into town, which you will use, because this is not a walk most visitors will want to make twice a day.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Imago Hotel & Spa
A five-star from about US$185 with the strongest spa in El Calafate — a heated indoor pool, massages and body treatments — plus a lift and a free shuttle to the centre. Children of all ages are welcome; pets are not accepted. Out of town, so plan on the shuttle or a taxi for every meal.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Boutique
Smaller and more characterful — and, in one case, an old estancia.
Esplendor by Wyndham El Calafate
A 38-room four-star from about US$82, with a lift, a heated indoor pool and a massage room, and lake views from some rooms. It is about ten minutes’ walk from the centre — but the site sits above the town, so the walk back is uphill. Pleasant on a bright evening; take a taxi if the weather turns.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Kau Yatún Hotel Boutique
A converted estancia in its own grounds, rated 9.2 out of 10, with the El Quincho restaurant on site — useful, because it is a ten to twenty-minute uphill walk into town and a taxi is wise after dark. Trip.com lists no lift, no pool and no spa: this is low-rise estancia buildings and gardens, not a resort. Charming for exactly that reason.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Budget & Value
On the main street, where you can walk out of the door and eat.
Mirador del Lago Hotel
The best value-for-rating we found in El Calafate: a four-star directly on the main street from about US$74, rated 9.0 out of 10 from more than a hundred reviews, with lake-view room types and the lakeshore two hundred metres away. Restaurants are at the door. One caution — Trip.com lists no lift, so ask for a low floor if stairs are difficult.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Hotel Kapenke
The cheapest central option we can vouch for, from about US$47, a few steps off the main street. Be realistic about what that buys: it rates 8.2 out of 10 and its own reviews mention maintenance and noise, and Trip.com lists no lift. But the position is excellent and you will not need a taxi to eat.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Family-friendly
Pools and space, with a shuttle instead of a walk.
Design Suites Calafate
A four-star from about US$114 with a lift, an indoor pool, a full spa, a sauna and a health club, and lake-view suites. Trip.com states children of all ages are welcome. A shuttle is available; a car or taxi is needed for restaurants.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Alto Calafate Hotel
A four-star roughly eleven minutes’ drive from the main street, with a lift, a heated indoor pool, a spa, a sauna, a gym and lake views; guests particularly praise the free shuttle into the centre. One thing to check when booking: children are accepted in some room types only, and fees may apply.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Adults-only
There is no adults-only hotel in El Calafate that we can verify, and we will not pretend otherwise. Every property we checked states either that children of all ages are welcome or that children can stay in some rooms. One hotel sets a minimum check-in age of eighteen, but that is a booking rule, not an adults-only policy, and we are not going to sell it as one. For a quiet, grown-up stay, Kau Yatún or Imago above come closest. Browse the current listings below.
Browse El Calafate hotels on Trip.com ›Pet-friendly
We must be blunt: we could not confirm a single pet-friendly hotel in El Calafate. Every one of the twelve properties we checked — including all of those recommended above — states plainly on Trip.com that pets are not allowed. If you are travelling with a dog, plan on a self-catering rental rather than a hotel here, and confirm directly with the owner. The browse link below shows the current listings, but do not expect it to solve this one.
Browse El Calafate hotels on Trip.com ›Spa & Pool
In a place this cold and this windy, an indoor pool is not a luxury — it is what you do on the afternoon the weather closes in.
Hotel Posada Los Alamos
If you take one recommendation from this page, take this one. It is the only hotel we verified in El Calafate that combines an indoor pool, a spa, a lift and a walkable position in the heart of town — from about US$84. For a traveller who wants comfort without arranging a car for every meal, nothing else here comes close. Pets are not accepted.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Calafate Parque Hotel
A central four-star from about US$90 with a lift and a spa offering massages and body treatments — unusual at this price. There is no pool. Walkable to the restaurants, which for many readers will matter more.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Don’t see your perfect fit?
Browse every El Calafate hotel with live prices and availability on Trip.com. Booking through our links supports Destinations Guild at no extra cost to you.
El Calafate Hotels — Frequently Asked Questions
Which part of El Calafate should I stay in?
On or just off Avenida del Libertador, if you would like to walk to dinner. El Calafate is built on a slope down to Lago Argentino, so “near the centre” often means a climb on the way home. Genuinely walkable from this page: Posada Los Alamos, Mirador del Lago, Calafate Parque and Kapenke. Everything else — Xelena, Imago, Alto Calafate, Design Suites, Kau Yatún — needs a shuttle, a taxi or a car for every meal, though most run a free shuttle.
Which El Calafate hotels have a lift?
Trip.com confirms lifts at Xelena, Imago, Design Suites Calafate, Esplendor, Posada Los Alamos, Alto Calafate and Calafate Parque. It lists no lift for Kau Yatún, Mirador del Lago or Kapenke — all three are otherwise excellent, so if stairs are difficult, ask for a ground floor room when you book.
Are there adults-only hotels in El Calafate?
Not that we can verify. Every property we checked on Trip.com either welcomes children of all ages or accepts them in some rooms, so we have not listed an adults-only section for El Calafate — we would rather tell you the category is empty than fill it with something that does not fit.
Can I bring a dog to El Calafate?
Not to a hotel, as far as we can establish. Every property we checked states plainly on Trip.com that pets are not allowed. If you are travelling with an animal, look at self-catering rentals instead and confirm the policy directly with the owner before you book.
How far is the Perito Moreno Glacier from El Calafate?
About eighty kilometres, or an hour and a quarter each way, and that is the same from every hotel in town — so do not choose a hotel hoping to be closer to the ice. You will need an organised excursion, a transfer or a hire car. The national park’s viewing balconies are a well-built system of graded walkways and railed platforms, so you can see the glacier properly at whatever pace suits you.
How many nights do I need in El Calafate?
Two is usually right: one full day for the glacier, and one for the boat trips on Lago Argentino or the Glaciarium ice museum. Three if you also want the long day trip to El Chaltén and Mount Fitz Roy.