A remote town in Chile is set to get a luxe hotel and it’s your ticket to Antarctica

Travelling to Antarctica is about to get a lot easier.

Silversea is set to change Antarctic travel forever with the opening of its new luxe hotel on the edge of the Earth. The luxury and expedition travel brand this week unveiled the room designs for The Cormorant at 55 South hotel, which is scheduled to open on Navarino Island in time for the 2025-2026 Antarctica season in the tiny Chilean town of Puerto Williams.

Silversea president Bert Hernandez said the rooms of the new 150-room hotel are designed to impress.

“The Cormorant at 55 South is thoughtfully designed with our guests in mind, ensuring a comfortable and uniquely Silversea experience,” says Hernandez, who visited Mendoza, Argentina this week to see the hotel in the making.

Guests of The Cormorant at 55 South can expect the same level of luxury they get on a Silversea cruise.

The name of the hotel, which was also revealed this week, is, according to Hernandez, both a nod to its southernmost location at 55° South and an homage to the Indigenous Yaghan of Navarino Island, where Puerto Williams is located.

“Each room offers panoramic views of Patagonia, and the hotel creates a deep connection to the community,” says Hernandez.

Building at the edge of the Earth comes with its own unique challenges, which is why its construction is modular. Silversea this week revealed a behind-the-scenes look at the build of the property, which will be transported to Puerto Williams in pieces and “put together like a puzzle”.

The hotel will be built elsewhere and assembled in Puerto Williams.

The ultimate polar escape honours the endangered lakutaia, which is the Indigenous Yahgan word for cormorant. Hernandez says the aquatic bird is a symbol of the seafarer and intended to “bestow good fortune on guests embarking on their next adventure”.

The Cormorant at 55 South’s architecture and interiors have been designed to reflect the traditional campsite of the Yahgan people. All rooms will be oriented to showcase the natural surrounds of the island and will overlook either emerald forests or a silvery stretch of the Beagle Channel. It will, says Hernandez, bring guests closer to the natural beauty of Patagonia.

The hotel, which will be synonymous with the luxury Silversea brand, was designed to make the journey to Antarctica more accessible by flying over the dreaded Drake Passage without compromising on time spent in the destination.

The new hotel will be part of Silversea’s Antarctica Fly Cruise program and will allow travellers to bypass the dreaded Drake Passage .

“We have reimagined the journey to Antarctica to make it shorter. Antarctica is hard to get to. Guests will be able to come to South America and fly from southern Chile to experience both Antarctica and South America in a deeper and more immersive way.”

Silversea’s six-day Antarctica Fly Cruise program addresses this challenge of getting to Antarctica by offering direct flights from Santiago to Puerto Williams, significantly reducing travel time.