“little chicago in patagonia?”

the problem with this hotel is finding it. be sure you know whether you are going to marcopolosuites or marcopolo hosteria and get a detailed map as the streets are not marked. the suites in particular are easy to access either by car or from town--they are right on an enormous highway that's an old airstrip. but there's no way of knowing this a priori or at least it wasn't indicated to me on my expedia reservation. the staff are courteous, helpful, willing to communicate in english and patient with my atrocious spanish. and about el calafate in general--it was so windy when we were here that we needed windbreakers and had to dress for much cooler temperatures than the thermometers claimed. the wind is less extreme in the town than at the hostels which are on high ground on the way into town.