Maldonado, Uruguay
Hotel Fasano Punta del Este
Modern Star
What it is
A starchitect-designed, uber-sleek 30-room resort with all the adventurous trappings on 1,200 emerald acres.
What it isn't
Maximalist. A streamlined look abounds, from the floor to ceiling glass walls to the bleach white poolside daybeds.
What we think
When Fasano hired Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld, they knew they’d get something extraordinary—and they did. On the approach, Fasano Punta Del Este looks less like the luxury hotel it is and more like a pair of ginormous cement and blonde-wood-paneled bricks, cantilevered over one another. On the rolling natural grasslands, it’s jarringly beautiful—and the type of place Instagram influencers from the world over clamor to snap. We love that its sleek lines don’t prevent it from being cozy, however; rooms are fitted with immersion soaking tubs, goose feather pillows and private balconies that peep out on the landscape. But you may find that you spend significantly more time chillaxing in the watering hole-esque swimming pool, or hitting the Arnold Palmer-designed golf links, than hanging in your suite.
You're here because
You’ve gotten tired of standard-issue resorts, and Fasano is the exact opposite—as proven by its stone-walled namesake restaurant, where tan leather seats overlook the Maldonado river.
The Moment
Sipping your morning cuppa in Las Piedras, you feel less like you’re in a Uruguayan cafe and more like you’re tucked into a British bookshop. Tin lamps cast a warm glow over the wood-walled space; mirrors reflect the shelves of first editions with the energy of the dawn; and you’re starting to feel like you can’t go back to the banality of Starbucks. Ever.
Restaurants & Bars
Fasano Restaurant - Italian (dinner only)
Las Piedras Restaurant - Italian
The bar is a striking glass box, perched on the hillside - perfect for cocktails with a view
Location
About a 20 minute drive inland from the beaches of Punta Del Este, at Fasano you’ll feel you’re in your own galaxy—one tricked out with an exquisite spa and a full equestrian center (polo, anyone?).