Playa Vik Jose Ignacio

If the architecturally distinguished and phenomenally luxurious Estancia Vik was Alex and Carrie Vik’s idea of a small-scale country-house escape, then Playa Vik is their version of a low-key beach-house getaway. Which is to say it’s a bit like dropping in on an old friend’s vacation home, if your friend is an architectural patron and art collector of phenomenal means, with a stunning parcel of land on the coastline of José Ignacio, Uruguay.

It’s the rare hotel that’s centered around the likes of the “Sculpture,” a modernist monument in cantilevered titanium and glass, much less one that houses an art collection anchored by an Anselm Kiefer sculpture (and an installation by Pablo Atchugarry, an artist who is, around these parts at least, very much on Kiefer’s level). Three art-filled Master Suites are contained within the Sculpture, as are the suites’ common living and dining spaces.

From there, if you can believe it, things only get more luxe. Six modernist two- and three-suite residences, made from stone and concrete, house families and large parties, and come complete with fireplaces and with fully retractable windows which disappear into the walls, opening the interior to the sea breeze. Space forbids a complete list of comforts and amenities — suffice it to say there’s little chance you’ll come away expecting any more from a hotel suite.

The Pavilion is home to the balance of Playa Vik’s common space, from the Parillero’s dining room and barbeque terrace to the gym and spa. It’s every bit the equal of many a larger luxury hotel — to be fair, it’s every bit the equal of most any human dwelling of any kind. All this, and rather than a formal hotelier-customer relationship, the Playa Vik is suffused the kind of loose, convivial atmosphere that prevails between friends. We should all have such friends.

Please note: Playa Vik Jose Ignacio is a seasonal property and open annually from November to May.

How to get there: Playa Vik Jose Ignacio is 150 km from Montevideo Airport and 50 km from Punta del Este Airport. Transfers can be organized for USD250 from Punta del Este, one way for up to 4 guests. Transportation in a van is available for USD350.