We tried a new place in town: "Playa Vik" which has been reviewed in all the luxury travel magazine , coming out as a must go destination. Unfortunately, the place absolutely did not meet our expectations. First of all, it is not finished and as a result , the guests had to suffer a lot of inconvenience. Secondly, it is more a villa rental than its seven star hotel billing(without any kitchen facilities though) The design is also very disappointing. The main building , which they call "the Sculpture " looks more like an Airport Terminal and looks very strange among , the village houses in JI that are a beautiful blend of edgy design and local architecture . The way the villas themselves are poorly situated and do not really take advantage of the amazing ocean front view , in fact they ignore it. They also dont appreciate that having internal facing glass walls , leaves either no privacy or the need to have the blinds permanently closed
However, the location is excellent, right in the village, on the beach. They have a very nice outside fire place , where you can enjoy the sunset. To conclude, I will not recommend this place. Casa Suaya is probably the best choice.
Lunch: the best place to go is La Huella, great service, good food, excellent ambiance.
We also recommend, if you want to escape a few hours from the beach, to drive to the small village of Garzon an enjoy a fine lunch at El Garzon. The chef and owner Mallmann is one of the best chef in South America.
Diner:Los Negos: the pop up restaurant of Malmann set in the unfinished Setai hotel. The design is very edgy, a mix of rough concrete and lemons suspended with signature lighthouses everywhere in designer style....a must see.
Butia: restaurant of Casa Suaya. The chef Clo Dimet is a disciple of Francis Malmann. Her cuisine is more authentic. We really enjoyed it and Adolfo the owner understands the social graces of guests unlike his Playa Vik neighbours.
Estancia Vik : for a Parillada barbecue( you need to book). The Parillada room has been painted by an edgy street artist and it is stunning. La Huella... of course
What to do: visit Estancia Vik during a polo match. Shopping at la Barra and Bikini (Converse shop, Osklen, Nike) . Drive to the laguna. Visit Pablo Atchugarry Foundation. Horse back ridding. Bike riding. Running on the beach. Watch the horses and cows! Birding. Drink Caipirinha at la Huella. Enjoy life....