travelswithalice

February 04, 2017

Three Hotels in Buenos Aires

Monday, January 23

This is our balcony at the Hotel Anselmo in San Telmo. It's overgrown with jasmine bushes and overlooks the atrium.

This is the third room we've had here in two weeks. A previous one we liked had a balcony overlooking Plaza Dorrego but we really needed more space.

We now have lots of space, a huge balcony, and more privacy and quiet. I miss having the world outside my window though. I miss the music.

The Anselmo is not the best run little hotel we've ever stayed in but we like being here despite its many little failings. The staff make the difference: Giselle, Juan, Jose, Francisco, Diana. They take good care of us.

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Saturday, January 28

We've just moved to the Alvear Palace in Recoleta, reputedly the number one hotel in Buenos Aires. Very olde worlde, it reminds me of the Maria Cristina in San Sebastián.

It's beautiful. The street it's on is smart and lined with tony shops. It doesn't have Plaza Dorrego at its doorstep though.

Well, the butler's just been, asking if we need any clothes pressed. I think I'm gonna like it here. 😉

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Friday, February 3

We're ending our Buenos Aires experience in Puerto Madero, as far removed from a Buenos Aires experience as Buenos Aires can get.

The Hilton sits on the riverbank across from miles and miles of identical red brick warehouse conversions with more bars and restaurants than we care to check out or even hear about before we fly back to Santiago on Monday.

It has an executive lounge and is only thirty minutes from the airport.

I yearn to be back in the luxurious embrace of the Alvear Palace and the gritty excitement of San Telmo but sadly, at the end of a long adventure, convenience tends to be a more urgent consideration than luxury and local color.

Labels: Alvear Palace, Anselmo, Hilton, hotels