Why This Ultra-Luxury Cruise Line is Building a Hotel in the Southernmost City on Earth

Silversea is taking a groundbreaking approach to ultra-luxury Antarctic expedition cruising – literally! The cruise line has broken ground on a hotel in Puerto Williams, Chile, to create a seamlessly deluxe experience for its guests on their voyages to the White Continent.

Silversea is the only cruise line that homeports from Puerto Williams during the Antarctic season. And the new, 150-room hotel will provide a seamless, ultra-luxury-all-the-way experience for Antarctic expedition cruise guests.

The cruise line already operates an innovative ‘Antarctic Bridge’ fly-cruise program, allowing guests to opt to skip crossing the Drake Passage. It’s the fastest and most direct route all the way to the bottom of the word. Silversea guests fly directly to Puerto Williams from Santiago, Chile’s capital. With the new, Silversea hotel, you’ll have the full Silversea hospitality experience during a land layover en route to Antarctica.

The new, 150-room hotel is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. It’s being built in partnership with local Chileans; part of Silversea’s commitment to fostering relationships and forging long-term benefits for the community. Silversea says it plans to work with the local community to create economic growth and opportunities while preserving the unique cultural heritage and minimizing environmental impact in the area.

Located in the sub-Antarctic zone of the Patagonia region of Chile at the southern tip of South America, Puerto Williams is an ideal gateway to an Antarctic cruise.

Overlooking the Beagle Channel and surrounded by pristine forest, the hotel will feature views of the water and snow-capped Patagonian mountains. Amenities will include an expansive restaurant ideal for group gatherings, a bar and lounge, fitness center and gift shop showcasing handicrafts and art by local artisans.

Due to its innovative architectural design, the hotel will blend seamlessly into the surrounding environment drawing inspiration from local traditional art, architecture, and materials.

From the Silversea hotel in Port Williams, Silversea guests will board their ship and can immerse themselves in the natural wonders of Antarctica, where they can discover uninhabited islands, snow-covered mountains, magnificent icescapes and a vast array of diverse wildlife on the world’s least-visited continent.

A Pioneer in Ultra-Luxury Polar Expedition Cruising

Silversea has led explorations to the far-flung Polar regions for over 15 years. With the opening of this hotel, Silversea cements its place as a pioneer in ultra-luxury expedition cruising.

Among the world's most luxurious expedition ships, Silver Endeavour, Silver Wind and Silver Cloud offer a range of six to 20-day Antarctic voyages appealing to every traveler seeking to discover the region in uncompromised luxury.

For guests with limited time, the Antarctica Bridge fly-cruise program provides the option to skip the Drake Passage and fly in comfort straight to Antarctica to start their expedition.

Silversea expeditions are led by a team of specialists who are experts in their field. With a crew-to-guest ratio of nearly 1:1, guests enjoy Silversea's hallmarks of luxury, including butler service for every suite and some of the most spacious accommodations in expedition cruising.