Farellones is perhaps two to three miles down the mountain from the fork to the rest of the resort. There are accommodations that range from the hostel to the rustic to the luxury. I stayed at the Posada de Farellones, a Swiss-type hotel, and despite the small, European type rooms, the food was outstanding. All the hotels will give you a free shuttle ride to the resorts. And once in the resorts, they're all interconnected, albeit with poma lifts and T-bars.
You need to be aware, again, that Chile is sort of like Europe. The expansive, Marriott-type accommodations are available but in the city. On the way to the mountains you will pass Condes, an upscale neighborhood that has the US Embassy, Sheraton, Marriott, etc. Then the climb up for an hour and some will take you above tree line and Farellones is the first little town.
The Posada is owned by the son of a Spanish Civil War republican soldier who emigrated to Chile upon the installation of the fascist dictatorship in Spain under Franco. The clientele is mainly European. Be sure you make the appropriate reservations, because some of the rooms have shared baths, a la Europe. Their rates also include food and a box lunch to take with you to ski.
I searched and found other accommodations in town.
http://www.chilecontact.com/Hotels_Farelloness.htmlI absolutely love Chile. They're almost old Prussian in their outlook, yet have adapted a European socialist democracy in a highly disciplined social order. Very enterprising and hard working people, but once on the slopes, they relax like Europeans. Down the slopes twice, in the lodge for hot chocolate and admire the view, up again a couple of times, and so on. They do make fun of the American obsession with vertical feet per day, and I found it funny to talk to them, appreciating their outlook and their amazing country.
There are also lots of things to do besides skiing. On the way to Viña del Mar and Valparaiso, the Chilean wine country goes on for as long as the eye can see. Really really nice to visit a vineyard or two. Then there's Torres del Payne, one of the most amazing sights in the world.
Both, Chile and Argentina are worth visiting. In Argentina, besides Bariloche, Buenos Aires is one of the world's grand cities, modeled and improved after Paris. Southern Cone people also have a very high standard of living, even in these economic times.
