Buenos Aires - Argentina - page 74

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B & B in Buenos Aires = Beautiful & Bargain-Priced
Buenos Aires has a growing number of intimate, chic bed-and-breakfast-type
guesthouses for $40 to $100 (£27-£70) a night. Unlike American B&Bs—which
are so often fusty and cluttered with bric-a-brac and cats—those in Buenos Air es
tend to have hip, young owners with very clean, cosmopolitan taste. Many own-
ers are designers who open their homes to the traveling public. Their places tend
to be airy and bright, and many have Spanish-style interior gardens and patios.
Unless you demand the ultimate in five-star luxury, many private guesthouses
are nicer than hotels charging three or four times the price. You can also get to
know the owners and other guests. Many offer weekly or monthly rates.
W e recommend Che Lulu (www.luluguesthouse.com), between Palermo Soho
and Palermo Viejo, as well as the lovely La Otra Orilla (www.laotraorilla.com.ar).
See individual websites for additional information and prices.

of the green canopy of trees in the spring and summer. The Plaza Grill (p. 97) remains
a favorite spot for a business lunch and offers a r easonably priced multicourse dinner
menu as well. The Plaza Bar (p. 152) is among the most famous in the city. The hotel's
enormous health club is one of the city's best, with a large heated indoor pool and special-
ized dance and aerobics rooms. Guests whose rooms are not ready can wait in the special
health club lounge, wher e they can r est and sho wer. The hotel lobb y has fr ee Wi-Fi
access, but in-r oom I nternet access costs about $16 (£11) a day , decr easing with the
purchase of additional days. The exterior of the hotel, with its historic landmar k facade,
recently under went a cleaning and r estoration. The hotel also offers fr ee high-quality
historical tours of Buenos Aires.
Calle Florida 1005 (at Santa Fe overlooking Plaza San Martín), 1005 Buenos Aires. & 11/4318-3000. Fax
11/4318-3008. www.marriott.com. 325 units. $296 (£202) double; fr om $400 (£273) suit e. Rates include
buffet breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Valet parking $16 (£11). Metro: San Martín. Amenities: 2 restaurants; cigar
bar; excellent health club w/outdoor pool; exercise room; sauna; concierge; business center; salon; room
service; massage; laundr y ser vice; dr y cleaning; Wi-Fi in lobb y. In room: A/C, TV, high-speed I nternet,
minibar, coffeemaker, hair dryer, safe.

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Sofitel The first Sofitel in Argentina opened in late 2002. This classy French
hotel near P laza San Martín joins two sev en-story buildings to a 20-stor y neoclassical
tower dating fr om 1929, linked b y a glass atrium lobb y. The lobby resembles an enor-
mous gazebo, with ficus trees, a giant iron-and-bronze chandelier, an Art Nouveau clock,
and marble filling the space. A djacent to the lobby, you will find an elegant F rench res-
taurant, Le S ud (p. 97), and the early-20th-centur y-style B uenos Air es Café. These
rooms vary in size, mixing modern French decor with traditional Ar t Deco; ask for one
of the “deluxe” rooms or suites if y ou're looking for mor e space. Beautiful marble bath-
rooms have separate showers and bathtubs and feature Roger & Gallet amenities. Rooms
above the eighth floor enjoy the best views, and the 17th-floor suite, L'Appartement, cov-
ers the whole floor. Many of the staff members speak S panish, English, and French.
Arroyo 841-849 (at Juncal), 1007 Buenos Air es. & 11/4131-0000. Fax [phone]. www.sofitel.com.
144 units. From $556 (£380) double; fr om $684 (£467) suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; cafe;
bar; indoor swimming pool; fitness c enter; concierge; business center; room service; laundry service. In
room: A/C, TV, high-speed Internet, minibar, hair dryer, safe.