Buenos Aires Hotels
Tourism continues to be strong in Buenos Aires. New hotels continue to open at a rapid pace and older ones undergo renovation or are bought out by international chains. You will find that hotels in the city often fill up during the high season, so booking ahead is a good idea, even if only for the first night or two. If it turns out that you're not happy with your choice of hotel or the area, you can look for a more suitable alternative once you're here.
The choices range from high-end hotels - some of which are members of international chains such as Caesar's, Four Seasons, Marriott and Sheraton - to more simple and less costly options such as youth hostels. The city centre area features hotels of all categories, and the sightseeing areas as well as the financial and business centres are located here. However, the entire metropolitan Buenos Aires area has lodging choices that are easily reached by the city's public transport network of five subway lines and its more than 100 bus lines.
Where to stay
Buenos Aires is a collection of several neighbourhoods, each with distinctive characteristics, selections of lodging options and attractions. From the sunsets and fabulous restaurants of dockside Puerto Madero to the famously beautiful and expensive Recoleta, you're certain to find a suitable spot from which to base your visit to this city.
The Puerto Madero area offers some of the newer and more expensive hotels in the city. It's also off the beaten track though, requiring the use of taxis to get around. The benefits of staying here include the many fine restaurants of Puerto Madero's historic dock area and the sunset views from many of the district's hotel rooms, which are truly magnificent.
More convenient locations include Recoleta and the Microcentro. Most of the city's best hotels and the widest range of services are found in these two neighbourhoods. Recoleta is more scenic and beautiful, and of course, staying here is convenient for visiting the Recoleta Cemetery and Evita's gravesite as well as the museums and parks of nearby Palermo. The Microcentro is ideal if you want to be close to the best shopping and the theatre district. Most performance venues including Teatro Colón are within easy walking distance. In addition, all of the subway (subte) lines converge in this area.
San Telmo is considered by many to be both the most romantic and the most authentic of all neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires. There aren't many hotels here, but if you're really interested in absorbing the Porteño flavour of the area and are fond of the tango, it can be worth spending a night or two here.
Monserrat is a neighbourhood bordering San Telmo, which is much more easily accessed by subway. There is also a selection of hotels here, so staying in Monserrat might be a good choice for visitors who would like to experience San Telmo's 'romance' from a more convenient location.
Subway service is better from here and shopping in the Microcentro is easily reached. Monserrat features early 20th century architecture in a style similar to buildings in San Telmo as well as enormous mid-century government buildings bordering the Plaza de Mayo. Caution is advised here on the streets at night, as it is in San Telmo.
