We stayed at Explora Rapa Nui for 3 nights in December 2011 and had a wonderful exprience. The room, the public area, the food, the tours and the service in general were all outstanding. The head tour guide Joann is from Newport Beach, California, and she gave us excellent advice on which tours to take. She also took us on our first tour shortly after we landed and checking into the rest. We did not expect to see so much (Ahu akivi and Ahu Tahai) the first day, and sipping champagne while watching the sunset and the moai figures was an unforgettable experience. On the third day, Explora set up an elaborate "picnic lunch" for us (only six hotel guests) on a larva rock beach, with large umbrellas and chairs, and a chef grilling seafood and a table of salads and cold cuts. We ate our lunch while watching the waves splashing on the larva rocks, and the setting was totally stunning. That was the most memorable lunch we ever had! We are glad we visited Easter Island, and even more glad that we stayed at the Explora Lodge.

Explora anything/anywhere is a phenomenal experience, and this is really a 4 1/2 star rating. The hotel facility meets that unique blend of luxury in the middle of an out of the way outdoors adventure that does not feel out of place or uncomfortable or tacky in the least. In contrast, it fits the environment perfectly. The rooms are attractive in a minimalistic style,and the primary interest of all employees is clearly that their guests have a tremendous once in a lifetime experience. The guides are knowledgeable and friendly and fun. The explorations are a decent variety, and they make a daily effort to ensure all get adventures that will be a good fit. The food is great too, healthful and tasty.

So why not 5 stars you might ask? To tell the truth, it is close, but there are a few deficiencies. First, coffee is not available in the morning anywhere until breakfast starts. Secondly, in 4 days breakfast did not once start at the advertised time. So, my first cup of coffee was at about 7:45 am every day, in my case about 1 1/2 hours after I awoke. Further, while lunch and dinner service was perfect, breakfast service was lackadaisical, and each refill was a separate venture for attention. After 4 days, I would think that my desire for coffee refills would not have come as a surprise. They just don't get the concept of keeping the coffee cup filled. Next, while their internet computer access is great, for some reason they have no printer set up for guests, so getting boarding passes printed involves separate arrangements at the front desk. Or anything else that one needs printed. Lastly, each afternoon guests would be given descriptions of the next days adventures, and make their choices. This same event in Explora Patagonia is done with detail of the hike and focus on a map; 6 stars in a 5 star grading system. On Easter Island, each adventure was described verbally in one or two sentences. It did not seem adequate.

Don't get me wrong: I love Explora and would go back in a heartbeat. I hope they open new hotels. They would be my automatic first choice anywhere. The Easter Island operation is first class. But it does have a small bit of room for improvement.

I looked at every single inn, guesthouse, B&B, and hay-filled manger on Easter Island before choosing this property. Given the cost, I was worried my high expectations wouldn't be met, but all in all, they do a very good job. In the less-than-satisfied reviews here, I saw a few themes, and here are my comments on each.

1. Amateurish service / food issues. Yes, the service is amateurish at times, but well intentioned. Supposedly 60% of the staff are Rapa Nui, though there are some conspicuous Americans in training roles. I suspect many of the Rapa Nui servers recruited on the island don't dine regularly in Michelin-starred restaurants. They don't have an instinct for fine dining service, so occasionally there are slip-ups from trying too hard, like pinot noir served at sauvignon blanc temperatures. It seemed they all tried their best and the food was of exceptionally high quality and frankly a bit too good-for-you. The local fish is particularly well-done. There were 8 wine choices, which seemed enough for this wine snob. The breakfast menu was the same every day, and I see how it would get repetitive after a week, but you really only need three or four days to see all the island's main sights.

2. Issues with the guides. I thought the local guides here were some of the best in the world (and this was country #75 for me). One guide accompanied my party on most of our excursions. He was born on the island but has a four-year degree from a university in Santiago and travels regularly to Tahiti and throughout Polynesia, which makes me think he's pretty well-paid. Explora, with their high prices, is probably able to recruit the best guides on the island by offering the best pay packages. Almost everyone spoke perfect English. The Chevy Express vans are a bit bumpy and would be better if they were Land Rovers, but the distances are short.

3. Issues with the room. The bare concrete isn't for everyone and can feel a bit stark, but time spent in the room is minimal if you keep busy with the excursions. The resort's crunchy granola appeal can feel schizophrenic when contrasted against their desire to serve their clientele's desire for luxury. We had an issue with a steady stream of ants in our room. We wished the hotel would just bring a can of Baygon rather than whatever wimpy eco-solution they used (which didn't work).

4. Issues with price. Whether a 3-night stay is worth a month's pay for the average American household is your call. Yes, they owners are probably making a fortune. But they're the only game in town. And how often are you planning to make the 12-hour round-trip from SCL to come back? (Digression: if coming a long way, leave a day or two in Chile before coming to IPC to recover and have a buffer when your flight is inevitably delayed. One couple that arrived with us had traveled 20 hours straight to get to the island and crashed from exhaustion.)

I spent 2 nights. The room was great: I was upgraded from basic to ocean view. What a nice large room. The breakfast is fantastic. Food on the island is very expensive. Eat all you want for breakfast. The location of the hotel is great.