The Argentine Lake District - Argentina - page 314

Av. San Martín 202, San Carlos de Bariloche. & 02944/445510. Fax [phone]. www.edelweiss.com.
ar. 100 units. $210 (£143) double superior; from $295 (£200) suite. Rates include buffet breakfast. AE, DC,
MC, V. Free valet parking. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; indoor pool; sauna; game room; room service. In
room: TV, minibar, safe.
Hotel P anamericano Overrated The massiv e H otel P anamericano is midway
through a desperately needed makeo ver, essential if the hotel wants to keep its fiv e stars
(right now I'd say it's a three-plus). With 300 rooms, a casino, and a confer ence center,
it's the biggest hotel in P atagonia. For the price, it offers none of the warmth, natural
setting, or style of the Llao Llao (p. 318), for example. Rooms are spacious and comfort-
able, and some hav e had a face-lift. M ost, though, still hav e old and used bathr ooms,
stuffy curtains, and dated carpets. Hallways are particularly dark and dreary. The new spa
is the finest in town, with a lovely top-floor pool and deck. Lake views are available only
above the fifth floor; in fact, the hotel rar ely books r ooms on the bottom floors unless
they're hosting a conv ention, although they hav e plenty of tour gr oups that keep the
hotel busy y ear-round. The back r ooms face an ugly building, but they 're cheaper. The
junior suites are quite nice; they're actually a better deal than the r egular suites. They're
a tad smaller, but they come with plant-filled balcony patios, outdoor table and chairs, a
fireplace, and a living ar ea. A double comes with two full-siz e beds or one king-siz e.
Inside the lobby, a faux water fall trickles in the backgr ound, and a bar/lounge r egularly
has live piano music. The hotel has another 100 or so r ooms and a casino on the other
side of the street, connected by an aerial walkway.
Av. San Martín 536, San Carlos de Bariloche. & /fax [phone]. www.panamericanobariloche.com.
306 units. $295 (£200) double; $315 (£214) double with lake view ; from $500 (£339) suite. Rates include
buffet breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Free valet park ing. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; lounge; indoor pool;
exercise room; sauna; room service; massage; laundry service; dry cleaning. In room: TV, dataport, mini-
bar, coffeemaker, safe.
Moderate
Hostería Las Marianas Finds A lovely, cozy inn just a fe w blocks fr om the
Centro Cívico, Las Marianas is a great choice if you want both the convenience of down-
town and the tranquillity of r esidential B ariloche. I t's a r enovated old A ustrian-style
mansion. The managers are friendly and fun. Beds have luxurious down comforters. The
bedrooms aren't large, and bathrooms are particularly tight, but the warmth of the entire
place makes up for it. Four new rooms on the top floor hav e nice views.
24 de Septiembre 218, San C arlos de Bariloche. & /fax [phone]. www.hosterialasmarianas.com.
ar. 14 units. $83 (£56) double; $102 (£69) 1 triple. Rates include buffet breakfast. No credit cards. Ameni-
ties: Lounge; laundry service; high-speed Internet. In room: TV, hair dryer, safe.
View Boutique Hotel Finds Practical, comfortable, modern, and friendly, this is a
new boutique-style hotel just a block up the hill from the heart of town. The main floor
is a large, bright lobb y, where breakfast is ser ved. As the name suggests, ther e are great
views of the lake. D ark wood and cr eam walls characteriz e the r ooms, which ar e a bit
small but have cozy chocolate-colored fleece blankets and lots of closet space. Bathrooms
have the same look, with dar k wood and marble. A triple has a small deck (ask for an
upgrade if you've booked a double). The owners, who opened the View Hotel in 2008,
are here all the time to w elcome you and help you organize your days. The convenience
of being so close to town is hard to beat, and the modern vibe is r efreshing.
Tucumán 221, San C arlos de Bariloche . & /fax [phone]. www.viewhotel.com.ar. 12 units . $100
(£68) double; $126 (£86) triple. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Bar; concierge; Wi-Fi. In room: TV.

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