 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ? |
Guests who have never
travelled to Chile often have questions about
what to expect in Portillo.
The following are
answers to some of our most frequently asked
questions.
| What do our
prices include? |
| Our prices
include lodging, 4 meals a day, lift tickets and
free access to all of our fitness and
entertainment facilities. Airline tickets, ski
or snowboard lessons, equipment rental,
beverages, nursery, transfers, among other
extras, are not included. |
| What is the
average snowfall? |
| Portillo
receives an average snowfall of 20 feet (6
meters) of snow, which generally falls during
short, but intense storms that are followed by
sunny days with bright blue skies. |
| What is the
altitude of the Hotel? What precautions should I
take? |
| The Hotel
Portillo is located at 9,450 feet (2,880 meters)
above sea level, and is characterized by very
low humidity. As a result of the dry air, we
recommend that our guests drink plenty of liquid
upon arrival and take it easy for the first day.
Guests normally notice shortness of breath,
especially when exercising. This is perfectly
normal. It is possible to be affected by
altitude and suffer from “altitude sickness”
caused by the lack of oxygen and atmospheric
pressure. Symptoms include headaches,
accelerated heartbeat, nausea, shortness of
breath, fatigue, difficulty sleeping and
physical weakness. If you notice one of more of
these symptoms for longer than 24 hours we
suggest that you visit our health clinic located
on the lower level of the Hotel. |
| What Après Ski
activities do you offer? |
| Portillo offers
several Après Ski activities. To name a few, you
can use the gym and take a class like yoga or
stretching; go to the pool or Jacuzzi; relax in
the bar before everyone gets there; play a game
of indoor soccer in our full-court gymnasium;
take a snowshoe walk (if this is on our
activities calendar); get a massage; take a nap;
read a book in the cozy living room; among other
activities. |
| How much does
the babysitting service cost? |
| The hourly price
for babysitting service varied from year to
year. For the most updated information please
check this following section of this webstie:
Activities for
Kids |
| How does the
Kid’s Camp work? |
| The Kid’s Camp
is a program of ski classes especially designed
to introduce 4-6 year olds to snow and skiing.
This program has morning and afternoon
schedules, and does not include lunch. Parents
are responsible for picking up and dropping off
their children at the Ski School’s Kids Camp
meeting point. |
| How old does a
child have to be to take ski or snowboard
classes? |
| To take group
ski classes children must be at least 4 years
old. Those children younger than 4 may take
private classes. For group snowboard classes we
recommend that children be at least 10 years
old. Kids between 8 to 10 years old may take
private snowboard lessons. |
| How does the
Main Dining Room work? |
| Our Main Dining
Room functions just like on a cruise ship. Our
maitre d’ Juan Beiza assigns guests to a table
the first evening, which guests will use
throughout their stay. During lunch and dinner
there are two seatings: 12:30pm & 1:30pm are
the lunch seatings while 8:30pm and 9:45pm are
the dinner seatings. If you have a seating
preference, please talk to the maitre d’ and he
will do his best to accommodate your requests.
Families with young children are always given
preference for the early seatings. Since dinner
is served late in the Chilean custom, we serves
“onces,” or tea and snacks, at
5pm. |
| What do I do if
I want to watch TV? |
| Portillo does
not equip its guest rooms with television. The
philosophy at Portillo is that guests switch off
and relax, and take part in the many activities
offered throughout the day. We do have
large-screen TVs in our cinema and disco, where
guests may watch cable television in English at
certain times of the day. Please check with our
entertainment team for schedules and
programs. |
| Is there a
dress code for dinner? |
| While there is
no dress code throughout the day at Portillo
(ski clothes are fine for breakfast and lunch),
guests feel most comfortable wearing nice,
casual clothing to dinner. We also politely
request that guests use the following guidelines
as a dress code for dinner: men should wear
shirts with collars (no T-shirts); closed shoes
(if you chose to wear sandals, please use
socks); no baseball caps or swimsuits. If you
have any questions, feel free to contact us. |
| What happens if
the slopes are closed due to a storm? |
| Due to the
unpredictability of weather, ski slope and lift
access may vary throughout the day. Excessive
wind, poor visibility, and heavy snowfall may
sometimes force us to close some or all of our
slopes. Please check our Information Center
located in front of the Ski School
office. |
| Why is the Roca
Jack run closed on some days even when the
weather is good? |
| The ski slopes
located near the upper mountain, such as Roca
Jack or Condor, are more exposed to avalanche
danger. Depending of different factors, our
avalanche team may decide to close some ski runs
during the day. Your safety is always our main
concern. |
| What is the
Portillo road closed policy? |
The road to Portillo (which is also the
International Highway between Santiago and
Mendoza, Argentina) is maintained by the Chilean
Ministry of Public Works, which is responsible
for clearing snow following a storm or other
events. Portillo Ski Resort in not responsible
for the condition of the road.
If the road is closed and guests are not able
to get to or leave Portillo, the following
policy applies:
- Guests who are unable to drive up to
Portillo due to road closure will be directly
responsible for their accommodation and other
expenses in Santiago or elsewhere. The nights
that are not used at Portillo will be accredited
to their accounts. Guests will be able to choose
whether to transfer the credit to their extra
services account (ski lessons, bar bills, etc.),
use the credit toward a future reservation
within the same season, or proceed for
reimbursement through their respective agency.
- Guests who are unable to descend from
Portillo and must spend the night in the resort
will be charged the full rate for their first
night’s accommodation. However, beginning the
second night, a 50% discount will be applied to
the normal rate.
|
If you have any
questions, please feel free to e-mail us and we will be happy to help you.
or Call Toll Free 1-800-811-3077
|
|
|
|
|
|
