Silversea has officially opened The Cormorant at 55 South, a new 150-room hotel located in Puerto Williams, Chile, the southernmost city on the planet.
This historic event for the brand and a pioneering initiative for Silversea and Royal Caribbean Group was celebrated with an opening ceremony on November 5, attended by Silversea executives, Chilean national and regional authorities, and members of the local community.
Developed in collaboration with a consortium of Chilean investors, the hotel reflects the identity of the region in which it is located and, at the same time, becomes the new gateway to Silversea's Antarctica Fly Cruise program. From now on, all passengers participating in Antarctica Fly Cruise expeditions will arrive in Puerto Williams on a charter flight and stay at The Cormorant before continuing their journey to the Last Continent.
“Today is a pivotal moment for Silversea,” says Bert Hernandez, Silversea President. “We’ve opened The Cormorant at 55 South to make the journey to Antarctica simpler and more comfortable for our guests. Now, the expedition begins here, in a hotel designed around Puerto Williams and offering the same level of service our guests expect on board our ships. Silversea has always been about pushing boundaries, and this project is yet another example of how we continue to invest in the guest experience.”.
A MILESTONE FOR SILVERSEA AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE WORLD
The Cormorant continues the leadership that Silversea established in 2008, when it pioneered luxury expedition cruises, expanding its offering from the ship to land.
The hotel boasts a team trained according to The Silversea Way, the company's service culture, which brings the brand's personalized attention to guests' first contact with Puerto Williams. Furthermore, it has been built to the same high standards of quality that characterize the onboard experience.
The building was erected using a modular construction system. Each of its 150 rooms was manufactured in Mendoza, Argentina, and then transported across the Andes and Patagonia to its final location at the 55th parallel south.
Its architecture and interior design are inspired by the landscape, local traditions, and materials of the region—a connection to the land that extends throughout the entire hotel experience. Three large-format works by Chilean artists incorporate the nature, geology, and ecology of the southernmost tip of the planet into the space, while the culinary offerings are rooted in the destination itself and built around local ingredients.
THE START OF THE ANTARCTICA FLY CRUISE JOURNEY
Guests participating in an Antarctica Fly Cruise expedition fly nonstop from Silversea's private terminal in Santiago to Puerto Williams, aboard the company's charter flights, and stay at The Cormorant both before and after their voyage.
Inside the hotel, the design accompanies the guest on a journey that starts from water and darkness to give way to the warmth of wood and fire.
Each space is designed to convey the essence of the region and place the destination at the center of the experience.
- Latitude 55: Inspired by Chilean flavors, regional ingredients, and local culinary traditions like asado, Latitude 55 brings the taste of Chilean Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, and Puerto Williams to your table. Their menus feature products grown, raised, and fished in the region. Dinners are served family-style, with large, shared platters in the center of the table.
- Bar Sur: The hotel's social hub offers teas and light bites during the day, and Chilean wines and spirits in the evening. Its wine list takes you on a journey through Chile from north to south. Calafate, a native berry with an intense blue-violet hue, is featured in some of its cocktails alongside Chilean pisco, the country's emblematic spirit. The offerings combine acidic, herbaceous, and warm flavors with a subtle smoky touch reminiscent of a barbecue. Among the experiences offered at the bar are a guided pisco tasting, led by its team, and wine tastings conducted by the hotel's sommelier.
- Fireplace: Inspired by the regional tradition of the fire as a space for hospitality and gathering, Fireplace offers comfortable seating and large windows overlooking the Patagonian landscape.
- Art and design: Three large-format works by Chilean artists take center stage in the interior spaces: Navarino, a steel sculpture by Paola Vezzani suspended in the main lobby; Dientes de Navarino, a mural by Cata Flaño in the bar; and La Memoria de las Piedras, an installation of seventy pieces of handcrafted ceramic created by Javier Canales.
- Outdoor experiences: Guests can kayak in the sheltered waters of the Beagle Channel, hike the coastal trails of Seno Lauta, and explore the landscape on horseback. During these activities, they will also have numerous opportunities to observe cormorants, kelp gulls, and upland geese.
OPENING DAY: A CEREMONY THAT REFLECTS THE IDENTITY OF PUERTO WILLIAMS
The official opening of The Cormorant was marked by the music, history and community spirit of the far south of Chile.
Los Chamames de la Patagonia, a folk group founded in Punta Arenas in 2015, performed a piece of Patagonian chamamé alongside children from the local folk group. This musical tradition has its Guarani roots in northeastern Argentina and arrived in the south with seasonal workers, shepherds, and families.
Meanwhile, schoolchildren from the town performed the Chilean national anthem accompanied by young musicians.
The inaugural ribbon, crafted from natural reed fibers handwoven by local artisans, incorporated a chain of interlocking circles symbolizing the bonds between people, cultures, and territories, as well as the meeting point between Patagonia, its communities, and travelers from around the world. Specially designed hooks allowed hotel staff and Chilean authorities to cut the ribbon together, keeping the woven circles intact.
AN INITIAL SEASON WITH 29 ANTARCTICA FLY CRUISE TRIPS
The Cormorant represents a long-term commitment to the way Silversea offers the experience of traveling to Antarctica.
Until March 2027, the ships Silver Endeavour, Silver Wind and Silver Cloud will make 40 voyages, including 29 Antarctica Fly Cruise itineraries, all with a stay at The Cormorant at 55 South.
This season's itineraries last between six and 21 nights and extend beyond the Antarctic Peninsula to South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.
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