Inside The Cormorant, Silversea’s Antarctic Gateway Hotel

Silversea has opened The Cormorant at 55 South, a 150-room hotel in Puerto Williams, Chile, which the company calls the southernmost hotel on earth. The property opened on November 5 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Silversea president Bert Hernandez, local authorities, and members of the community. Developed in partnership with Chilean investors and Royal Caribbean Group, the hotel is now the starting point for Silversea’s Antarctica Fly Cruise program, consolidating guest arrivals and pre-expedition activities in a single, purpose-built facility.

The Cormorant stands on the edge of the Beagle Channel in the world’s southernmost city. Each of its 150 rooms was constructed in Mendoza, Argentina, then transported across the Andes and Patagonia to its site at 55 degrees south. The hotel’s low-slung architecture uses concrete, local wood, stone, and textiles in earthy tones, accented with orange, yellow, and green. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the lounge and guest rooms look onto Patagonian forests, the sea, and the Dientes de Navarino peaks. Bert Hernandez, president of Silversea, described the opening as “a defining moment,” saying, “Now the expedition begins here, in a hotel designed around Puerto Williams, with the same service our guests expect while on board our ships.”

The interiors are anchored by three large-scale works from Chilean artists. Paola Vezzani’s steel sculpture, Navarino, is suspended in the main lobby. Cata Flaño’s mural, Dientes de Navarino, stretches across Bar Sur, while Javier Canales’s installation, La Memoria de las Piedras, arranges seventy handcrafted ceramic stones. The main lounge centers on an indoor firepit, with an outdoor terrace for observing the terrain. The Fireplace, another social space, has deep chairs and wide windows, with its design shaped by the local custom of gathering around fire.

Image: Silversea Cruises

Dining at The Cormorant begins with Latitude 55, a restaurant rooted in the culinary traditions of Chilean Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, and Puerto Williams. Menus focus on ingredients from the region, produce, meats, and seafood, and dinner is brought to the table on shared platters. Dishes include regional specialties such as empanadas and asado barbecue cooked over an open fire. Bar Sur, the hotel’s social center, serves teas and small bites by day, with Chilean wines and spirits in the evening. The cocktail menu highlights the calafate berry and Chilean pisco, and guests can join guided pisco tastings or wine sessions led by the house sommelier. Guest rooms are equipped with mountain or sea views, wood finishes, green upholstery, a Nespresso machine, and a refrigerator stocked with water and craft beer. The Uncharted Boutique stocks Chilean handicrafts and polar equipment.

The Cormorant replaces the previous practice of booking guests in multiple hotels in Punta Arenas. That allows Silversea to manage all pre- and post-expedition stays in one place. The hotel now hosts activities that were once handled on board, including polar gear fittings, biosecurity inspections, and briefings. This shift streamlines logistics for the 29 Antarctica Fly Cruise voyages scheduled through March 2027, as well as other itineraries with Silver Endeavour, Silver Wind, and Silver Cloud. The property is open from October to March, and Silversea is considering making it available all year for travelers visiting southern Chile.

Outdoor excursions begin at the hotel’s doorstep. Guests can kayak the waters of the Beagle Channel, follow the shoreline trails along Seno Lauta, or ride on horseback in the surrounding area. Birdwatching opportunities include cormorants, dolphin gulls, and upland geese. The opening ceremony drew on the region’s music and crafts, with performances by Los Chamames de la Patagonia and local schoolchildren, and a ribbon woven from junco fibers by area artisans.

The magazine has also looked at Raffles The Red Sea on Shura Island and Rosewood Calistoga, Napa Valley’s newest luxury retreat.