We stayed three nights in Iguazu and we were so happy that we chose the newest hotel in the area, Awasi Iguazu.  Awasi is a fairly new luxury hotel brand and they only have 3 locations, all in South America – Awasi Atacama Desert, Awasi Patagonia and now the Awasi Iguazu.  There are only 14 rooms at this Awasi location and they are all individual villas, complete with living room, bedroom, private patio and plunge pools.  We loved the rustic chic of our large and comfortable villa.

Each villa is set in the jungle and is completely private so you won’t see your neighbors ever.  You can sit outside on your private patio and hear the sounds of the birds and jungle critters.  We loved the plunge pool for relaxing after a long day of activities.  In case you’re wondering, yes there are bugs outside, mostly ants, but we never saw a single one in our villa and I did not see any spiders on the property.  There are mosquitoes at dusk but we didn’t find them to be all that bad.  The hotel provides bug spray in your room and a few spritzes of that on our legs and ankles did the trick each afternoon.

Awasi has one main lodge, which houses the lobby, reception and main bar and restaurant.  Everything at Awasi is all-inclusive, including food and alcohol.  They have a dedicated sommelier who sources only Argentine wines for this location (Chilean wine only at the Chile locations) so we loved trying both whites, reds and bubbly during our stay.  The hotel also has the wines out in the afternoon if you want to do a tasting.  They also have handmade cocktails and while they can make all the classics, I loved having their bartender, Pepe, make me a bespoke cocktail each evening.  I just had to tell him what kind of alcohol and a flavor profile and he would whip up something unique and delicious.  I had one of the best vodka cocktails every during our stay, which had citrus fruit and lemongrass infusion with chamomile.  In case you were wondering, Awasi is adults only and does not allow any children under the age of 13 or14.

I loved that the main lodge was also up on stilts and situated right in the jungle as well.  You could choose to sit inside or outside for dining each day.  While we usually sat inside during lunch when it was the hottest part of the day, we found it very comfortable to sit outside for breakfast or dinner when it cooled down and they had fans to keep it breezy.  The food at Awasi is incredible.  They focus on local and fresh ingredients and produce and the menu at lunch is the same each day with a rotating soup and special of the day.  Dinner changes daily with a set three course menu. Breakfast is a buffet of house made pastries, fruit and yogurts with a variety of egg dishes ordered individually. We found the food to be delicious at all meals.  The chef is also happy to make you anything if nothing on the menu is to your liking and they do cater to special diets as well.

Awasi also made my birthday so special!  Our guide, Carolina, had the car decorated that morning and brought a special “Happy birthday” sign that we used in our pictures at the waterfalls.  That afternoon, she also brought a small bottle of champagne and two flutes so we could sip bubbly at the falls.  When we returned to our room that afternoon, the staff had also left us some delicious cold fruit and more champagne on ice and that evening they  brought me a huge piece of chocolate birthday cake.  Also, I think every single employee wished me happy birthday throughout the day and evening.  It was a very memorable birthday thanks to the hotel staff!

The other best part about Awasi is that each guest is assigned their own private guide and vehicle for your entire stay.  Each guide is certified and they are experts in local flora, fauna and activities.  On our first day, we sat down with Carolina and went over our options.  Obviously, one day was spent seeing the waterfalls.  Other options include hikes in the jungle, river kayaking, trips to see the Jesuit mission ruins, power boat trips down the Parana River to see other waterfalls, trips to an animal sanctuary or butterfly farm, bird watching, in-room massages and the hotel has its own private concession in the Yacui rainforest reserve.  We opted for the jungle hike, river kayaking, trip to the private reserve and a visit to the nearby animal sanctuary.  Yes, Awasi is expensive and this was our big splurge spot but we were really happy we spent the money.  In this environment, your day can go sour quickly from heat, humidity, bugs, crowds at the falls, etc….  Awasi handles everything for you and they make sure you get the most out of your trip and in the most comfortable way possible. It really is a bespoke experience here.

I’ll post about our excursions next!