Visited Easter Island with my family this past July and stayed at this property based on reviews from tripadvisor and was immediately impressed with Maria and Moea (pronounced Moya) ever since starting emails to inquire about room and rates. They both spoke English and replied promptly to all my emails and questions even before finally deciding and then booking based on price and reviews here. They were very patient with all my questions.
Upon arriving at Hanga Roa airport, Maria picked us up there and promptly made us feel at home by welcoming us with flowered leis and taking us around town before heading for the hotel which was only about 5 minutes away by car from the airport. She took the time to show my two small boys a special resident of the island (a giant turtle) and immediately won their hearts and imagination. Moea met us at the hotel and was a wealth of information regarding the Island, what to do, where to eat, where to buy needed supplies, etc. Both of them immediately made us feel at home and welcome after a 4 1/2 hr flight from Santiago. The hotel itself is on a quiet side street away from the main center of town but easily a 5-10 minute leisurely walk from there (though it was raining on and off a lot). The center/main road of Hanga Roa is rather busy and noisy so we were happy...Visited Easter Island with my family this past July and stayed at this property based on reviews from tripadvisor and was immediately impressed with Maria and Moea (pronounced Moya) ever since starting emails to inquire about room and rates. They both spoke English and replied promptly to all my emails and questions even before finally deciding and then booking based on price and reviews here. They were very patient with all my questions.
Upon arriving at Hanga Roa airport, Maria picked us up there and promptly made us feel at home by welcoming us with flowered leis and taking us around town before heading for the hotel which was only about 5 minutes away by car from the airport. She took the time to show my two small boys a special resident of the island (a giant turtle) and immediately won their hearts and imagination. Moea met us at the hotel and was a wealth of information regarding the Island, what to do, where to eat, where to buy needed supplies, etc. Both of them immediately made us feel at home and welcome after a 4 1/2 hr flight from Santiago. The hotel itself is on a quiet side street away from the main center of town but easily a 5-10 minute leisurely walk from there (though it was raining on and off a lot). The center/main road of Hanga Roa is rather busy and noisy so we were happy to be staying a bit off the strip so to speak.
The hotel itself is small but very cozy. The rooms were well sized for us two adults and two small kids having one large bed and one single which we simply pushed together to make a fairly large bed that the kids won't fall out of. The rooms were very clean with tiled floors, and clean beds, towels, linens/ bathroom (one small problem was having only one large bottle of liquid soap in the bathroom and no other toiletries but we were ready and had our own to begin with.) Stayed on the 2nd floor at the far end of the building and had a small patio (no nice views from any of the rooms though) where breakfast was served each morning. Simple but tasty breakfast consisted of bread, ham, cheese, juice and coffee but was a welcome start to exploring the island. There was no AC in the room but it was winter and very cool/ mild/ sometimes rainy weather. No screen needed on island either since constant island breeze runs through and no insects at all noted in our entire stay (never once had to use my OFF spray). Room also had an electronic safety box and small minibar/ refrigerator and electric fan. No TV in room if that's important for you (although having traveled to Santiago and Buenos Aires and other hotels, even cable has only one or two English channels most of the time).
They also offered small SUV (Jeep and Fords) rentals on site which we decided to use for about $60 a day since being 4 with 2 small kids did not make for very good tour group travel and we decided to explore the island instead on our own time and pace. Gasoline on the island as with many other things is expensive-- one must remember this is a very remote island with only one or two flights a day from Santiago for replenishment of needed supplies including gas. However, one half tank of gas was all we needed for our entire 3 days stay since it is a small island and the SUV turned out great navigating the many potholes and gravel side streets on the island. This time of year, sunshine comes and goes as many times as the rains do but for brief periods due to the strong island breezes.
Yes, as the other reviews stated, there are lots of chickens and roosters running around the property but this was a highly treasured experience for my two small boys who have never seen these up close having lived in a big city all their lives. They looked forward to chasing them around the property as well as feeding them with bits of bread. The island gets dark around 8:30 pm (and the stars that show up at night are amazing) and the sun rises around 7:30- 8 am already as well so the roosters crowing at dusk were my alarm clock letting me know morning was near. The walls of the rooms are a bit thin and you do hear your neighbors opening/ closing doors and taking their showers but again, this is did not bother us.
Moea gave us the name of two restaurants Tataku Vave and Tia Bertha's which became our favorite places to eat each day. Tataku Vave is a beautiful small restaurant overlooking the sea right beside their port/delivery harbor so the seafood didn't get any fresher than that and their staff again made us feel special and treated our children with warmth and care letting them explore around their outdoor patios. Each night for dinner we tried different seafood dishes and enjoyed the quiet island breezes and sunsets from their patio. Tia Bertha's had the best empanadas the size of a plate which we would take on our road trips around the island.
Staying at this hotel was like staying with close friends or family. Everyone was kind and helpful and always willing to share their time and knowledge about this wonderfully magical island in the south Pacific. Yes, the MOAIs were the main attractions but in the end, it was the people who made our stay more memorable and special and Tea Nui has them in abundance-- warm, caring folks who will look out for you as you prepare to be amazed and awed by the mystery and beauty of Isla de Pascua. Thank you to Maria and Moea for sharing their warmth and hospitality with us.More
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