Design Suites Calafate - 3 Nights

The resort and its setting

Design Suites Calafate is a timeshare property in the small Patagonian town of El Calafate, which most visitors use as their base for exploring the glaciers of southern Santa Cruz province. It operates as an independent, RCI-affiliated resort, meaning owners typically hold their week as points or an interval that can be used directly or deposited into the RCI exchange network for a trade elsewhere. Stays are commonly sold and booked in three-night blocks, a format that suits the way most people actually visit Calafate: a short, focused trip built around one or two major excursions rather than a long beach-style holiday.

El Calafate and what there is to do

El Calafate itself is a compact, walkable town with restaurants, artisan shops and tour operators clustered around the centre — handy if you'd rather arrange excursions on foot than pre-book everything from home. The reason people come, though, is what lies outside town. Perito Moreno Glacier, roughly 80 km away, is the headline attraction and one of the few glaciers in the world you can watch calving from viewing platforms, with boat tours running close to the ice face. Upsala Glacier, about 90 km out, is reached by boat and gives a sense of the scale of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Closer to home, Argentino Lake is just a few kilometres from town and borders Los Glaciares National Park, while the drive towards Laguna de los Tres Picos (around 65 km) takes in classic Patagonian steppe and mountain scenery. None of these are within easy walking distance — most involve a tour bus, hire car or boat transfer of an hour or two each way, so day trips need a bit of planning rather than spontaneity.

Selling or renting a week here

If you own a week at Design Suites Calafate and no longer use it, BidMyTimeshare.com lets you list it for resale or rent directly to other owners and travellers, without an agent in the middle. You set your own asking price, write your own listing, and interested buyers or renters contact you through the platform — we charge sellers a one-time listing fee and take 0% commission on the sale or booking itself.

Because this is an RCI-affiliated resort rather than a branded chain, resale isn't handled by a head office: transfers go through the resort's own owners' association or management company. Before agreeing a price with a buyer, it's worth asking management directly for the current transfer fee and the latest annual maintenance fee, since neither figure is standardised and both change over time — don't rely on old paperwork or assumptions from other resorts. Ask too whether the resort or RCI membership carries any right-of-first-refusal clause that could affect how the sale is processed, and how long a transfer typically takes to complete once a buyer is found, so you can set realistic expectations in your listing. A resale buyer should understand that they're acquiring the week or points itself, not any RCI membership fees already paid by the seller — exchange membership is usually arranged separately once the transfer is complete.

Practical notes for buyers and renters

Renters and buyers researching Design Suites Calafate should know this is a Patagonian destination suited to a short, activity-focused stay rather than a resort where you spend a week relaxing. Weather can turn quickly regardless of season, so anyone planning glacier or lake excursions should pack layered, windproof clothing. December to February is the warmest stretch and the busiest for tour bookings; the shoulder months of October–November and March–April bring fewer crowds; and the winter months (June–August) are quieter, cheaper and colder. Whatever the season, book glacier boat tours and excursions a few days ahead rather than on arrival, as availability outside town is limited.