Buenos Aires - Argentina - page 79

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Age New York more than Argentina. Its lobby has been meticulously r enovated, a com-
bination of Ar t Deco and collegiate G othic, with simple beige and br own furnishings
offsetting the burnished woods, stained-glass ceiling, and honey-color ed marble floors.
Many of the large r ooms are on the dar k side, with a masculine combination of simple
materials in red and black. Others are brighter, with white walls and burnt-sienna offsets.
All the bathrooms are spacious, with large counters and an ex cellent range of toiletries.
A new building was also added to the hotel in 2006. The rooftop, with its small outdoor
heated pool, offers a vie w of the riv er all the way to U ruguay on a clear day . A small
health club, complete with a spa, sauna, and Jacuzzi, is also on this level, as is the execu-
tive area. The hotel's downside is that many back r ooms have no vie w. There are two
restaurants in the building. O ne is casual, while the other , Clue, is a large, minimalist
space, with 1930s style, where patrons are forbidden from dining in shorts.
Bolívar 160 (at Alsina), 1066 Buenos Air es. & 11/4121-6464. Fax [phone]. w ww.nh-hotels.com.
369 units, including 38 suites. From $199 (£136) double; from $296 (£202) suite. Rates include generous
buffet breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking $20 (£14). Metro: Bolívar or Plaza de M ayo. Amenities: 2 restau-
rants; bar; small gym facility w/open-air pool; spa; sauna; Jacuzzi; concierge; business center; room serv-
ice; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning; executive floor; conference center. In room: TV, high-speed
Internet or Wi-Fi, minibar, hair dryer, large safe.

Moderate
Grand Boulevard Hotel Value The Grand Boulevard offers a location similar to
the InterContinental (see above) at a much lower price, while still offering a conv enient
set of ser vices for both business and leisur e travelers. Double-glazed windows lock out
noise from Avenida 9 de Julio while offering incredible views of that street and the river
from higher floors. The restaurant/bar is open 24 hours, and it offers both international
cuisine and a special lighter menu. All r ooms offer desks and hav e large closets. Subway
access is easy. With the autopista (highway) nearby, this is also the city 's closest four-star
hotel to the airpor t. Parking is fr ee in the hotel 's garage. S ome of the r ooms here have
limited wheelchair accessibility. A small, glassed-in meeting-r oom space sits on the r oof
of the building, with beautiful vie ws of the city.
Bernardo de I rogoyen 432 (at Belg rano), 1072 Buenos Air es. & 11/5222-9000. www.grandboulevard
hotel.com. 85 units . $121 (£83) double; fr om $175 (£120) suit e. AE, DC, MC, V. F ree park ing. M etro:
Moreno. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small health club w/personal trainer ; sauna; c oncierge; business
center; r oom ser vice; massage; bab ysitting; laundr y ser vice; dr y cleaning; r ooms for those w/limit ed
mobility. In room: A/C, TV, high-speed Internet or Wi-Fi, minibar, hair dryer, safe.

5

Hotel Castelar The 1929 H otel Castelar was once a popular stopping point for
Spanish literar y stars during Argentina 's golden y ears as an intellectual center in the
1930s. It is most associated with S panish playwright F ederico García Lorca, who took
refuge here during the Spanish Civil War for several months in 1934. The room he lived
in has also been pr eserved as a kitschy mini-museum. The lobby retains much of the
brass, marble, and heavy plaster elements dating back to its opening.These details extend
into the dining area, which was once a confitería (cafe) as culturally important as the Café
Tortoni (p . 100). M ario Palanti, the eccentric ar chitect of the nearb y Palacio B arolo,
designed the Castelar. The Castelar's spa, in the hotel's basement, is free for all guests of
the hotel (men and women ar e separated in this ar ea), with additional fees for v arious
services. E normous, full of white Carrara marble, and built in the Turkish style, it is
worth paying the entrance fee of about $15 (£10) just to see the place, ev en if y ou are
not a hotel guest. R enovations in all of the units w ere completed in early 2005, but the
1920s wooden touches, speckled glass, and tiled bathr oom floors w ere r etained. The