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Visiting Hacienda Los Lingues is like taking a step back in time, except that you never give up any of today's amenities.
ABOUT HACIENDA LOS LINGUES:
Los Lingues is part of the Angostura Estate given in 1599 by King Phillip III to the first mayor of Santiago in recognition of his valuable services. This estate has remained within the same family for more than four centuries and has been preserved as one of the oldest and most traditional of its era. Located just 78 miles south of Santiago, Los Lingues covers 1,000 acres of fertile land and 8,000 acres of rolling hills.Los Lingues is u-shaped around a lovely garden-patio area.
The living room and one suite occupies one wing; the dining room and smoking salon another, and guest rooms the third wing.
A separate building houses the stables and yet another, a short walk from the main house, has two additional guest rooms.
An even more distant building, a pleasant five minute walk, houses changing rooms and fronts the large swimming pool.
The living room is stuffed full of family momentos and antiques, including unusual pieces like a ship captain's bar bought right off a ship at the turn of the century. While the living room is accessible any time of the day, it is the gathering place in the evening for a cocktail before going to dinner.
GASTRONOMY:
Breakfast is served on the outdoor patio and lunch either on the patio or in the second floor informal dining room, but dinner is another story.In fact, dinner is not only an event, it is an experience in itself. Dinner is served in the main, formal dining room, resplendent with antique furnishings and displayed family heirlooms. Seating at the table is designated by your host of the evening, either the owners or their personal representative, and is well orchestrated to promote meeting other guests.
The five course dinner is served by white gloved waiters in an elegant family style. Various wine glasses, lined up in front of you, are filled and refilled as appropriate. Cutlery fans out on both sides of the nested plates. Fresh and Chilean are the adjectives for the key ingredients, and the result is country gourmet.
After dinner, everyone adjourns, at least for awhile, to the Smoking room for an after dinner drink and perhaps a kitten snuggle. After all, it's historic and it's elegant but it's still a family house and the cats and the dogs (Mexican hairless) are all part of the atmosphere
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Rooms feel traditional colonial but provide all the comforts from fluffy pillows and warm comforters to plenty of closet, drawer and counter space. Each room has a wood stove which can be stoked up for atmosphere and warmth.Bathrooms are spacious, have plenty of hot water and their own in-room heater, especially nice on a cool country morning. There are plenty of towels of various sizes and a small amenities kit.
