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I am considering staying at the Alvear Palace during my trip to BA in Dec. The cost of the hotel stay is not a major concern as I am on a business trip and should be able to expense most of it.
How's the location wrt to the various clubs? Is the hotel "Chica friendly"?
Thanks in advance. I hope to see some of you there soon ...
Samwise. My ex-favorita says the Alvear is chica friendly. The Alvear is across the street from Blacks and just several blocks from the other Recoleta Clubs, such as Afairre, Closers, Madahos, Solid Gold, Play Women and Sodoma. I have never stayed at the Alvear, but I have passed through the lobby. Magnificant. Enjoy!
Regarding the Etoile where I just returned from 5 fabulous nights, I'd like to warn anyone that likes to finish doing business with their chicas and go to sleep early that the Etoile is emphatically NOT the place to do this Friday, Saturday and Sunday night as there is a VERY, VERY, VERY LOUD disco just next door that doesn't stop blasting their music until about 5 am. This music is so loud that people have reportedly seen Evita Peron rise from her tomb and put earplugs in her ears in order to get some decent rest!!!! Monday through Thursday night there is some ordinance against this music as it is quiet well before 1 am.
Also, though the Etoile is supposedly a 4 star hotel, they've got some real mickey mouse ways of maintaining their facitlity: my bathroom window was missing the lock so it constantly opened up by itself, you know one of those windows that opens out....so when I asked that it be fixed they drilled another hole and screwed it permanently shut!!! Not a very good example of quality repairs.
Otherwise, though, as long as you don't mind their two-people- in-a-room at a time rule it's a pretty nice place to stay with very acommodating people at the front dest, great buffet breakfast, free internet access and photocopies in the business center, etc. They also have fully functional conference rooms with video conferencing facilities available so you can really comfortably do business there if need be.
And the Diplomatic Suite that I stayed in was ENORME PERO ENORME as they say in BA with a huge eating room with fridge, bar and large round table, a huge living room with sofa, tv and easy chairs and a nice size bedroom with two twin beds that I didn't really care for since I'm a big guy and two in a twin bed is a little tight but otherwise the beds were comfortable.
The price was ridiculously low in my opinion taking the exchange rate into consideration. I paid $187P per night which boils down to about U$55 per night including the 21 percent tax that they add on.
They also made a cell phone available, all you had to do was activate it at the front desk and pay 80 centavos (like 25 cents US) per minute with no charge for incoming calls. I selected this option and I found it extremely useful coordinating my business and pleasure meetings.
Eating wise, you can spend you entire time eating and screwing without walking more than 2-3 short blocks from the Etoile. And some of the deals they throw at you in the steak houses are ridiculous, like $14P for filet minon (LOMO in BA), about $U4.00....I mean you take your chica out to one of these steak houses for dinner and eat three courses with wine and dessert and the waiter hands you a bill for maybe $70 pesos and you've got this huge smile on your face feeling as though you practically stole the food.
Last but not least, if you want to buy jewelry while in town, ask the cabbie to take you to 9 de Julio and Libertad (no, this is not a typo, it's a different street than Libertador) and check out the prices!!! I bought an 18 k white gold diamond ring with about 1 k of diamonds and our appraiser just appraised it at about 3 times what I paid for it!!!!!
In conclusion, stay at the hotel and party your ass of at the Etoile if you can get a room!!! DownBA
DownBA. Nice post. I plan to do some Christmas shopping in BA, so the information about jewelry was perfectly timed......Do you remember the name of the store?
Also, I have read about a place that makes and sells leather goods somewhere on this board....but I can't find the post at them moment....I remember it was not on the Florida/Lavalle street mall, but in a more out of the way locale. Can anyone help me out?
Christmas shopping in BA will be a new experience for me!
Ezy, the place is called A Aryston Joyas and it's at Libertad 148; the phone numbe is 4372-7836. They have an email address on the card: aryston@uol.com.ar....the girl that helped me would be a great wife, I'd marry her in a minute...about 5'8", typical flat little tummy sticking out, big, beautiful chest, pretty face, nice manner, I guess I'm a sucker for the beautiful salesladies but this one was very acommodating as initially I didn't like what I saw and she said "Un momento por favor" and left the shop; when she came back a few minutes later she had EXACTLY what I was looking for. PS, she said she was offering me virtually wholesale prices and today the ring was appraised at $2500US and I paid $3000P.
I saw another gorgeous ring, a platynum ring with diamonds (HOW APPROPRIATE!!!) for $1500P at Lina Fabrica de Alhajas at Libertad 190, tel - 4382-8868. Don't get stuck on my place though Ezy as this is the heart of their jewelry district and there are dozens of places. It happens that I went in with a Porteno friend of mine and he seemed ok with what they were charging me so I trusted the prices and the appraisal meets that out.
I could seriously get used to this favorable exchange thing. In fact, Ezy, I could seriously get used to going to BA once a month and I have some new business possibilities that might someday afford me that luxury. Lastly, Ezy, they have suspended the purchase of jewely with credit cards, punto final, so bring cash or a debit card so you can withdraw the cash. I noticed that the cash machines simply don't dispense US$ anymore though they still offer that option. Pesos no problem.
FELIZ NAVIDAD EZY!! DownBA
I just stayed at "America All Suites Studios" and it is not chica friendly. They charge 50 pesos to bring the chica in and she has to register before coming in. The "Bestwestern Embassy All Suites" is their sister hotel so is probably the same policy.
Utell is not a hotel chain but a reservation system. I used them to book this hotel the day before I went and the reservation was there upon arrival at hotel. I will use this service in the future.
Anyone knows if hotels Dazzler, Presidente, or Bisonte Palace are chica friendly.
Jodomas
[QUOTE]Originally posted by jodomas
[i]I just stayed at "America All Suites Studios" and it is not chica friendly. They charge 50 pesos to bring the chica in and she has to register before coming in. The "Bestwestern Embassy All Suites" is their sister hotel so is probably the same policy.
jodomas....did you register originally for one or two persons? Most hotels in BA permit chicas IF you register for a double at the outset. Requiring the girl to register adds a measure of security for you, in the event you are robbed the girl is easy to track. Some hotels simply require the girl to leave her documentos (national id) at the front desk until she leaves.
Can't help you with the other hotels....when in doubt, ask. The hotel people have seen and heard it all before so you won't embarrass them....happy hunting
Apart Recoleta: www.apartrecoleta.com.ar/
Directly across from Affaire, 1 block from Etoile. Adequate rooms for $45 nite. List price $95, $55 online, $45 at the door "because pool and gym closed", They also have bigger nicer rooms for more. VERY good location, near the park and restaurants. Good security, English speaking staff, Motel 6 quality rooms, safes, stove, phone, small tv, hobbyist friendly or at least indifferent, they just call and tell you guest is here, can we send her up? Nice soft beds, although I BROKE the first bed... If the guys at work coulda seen THAT... LOL...
Otherwise nothing special except for EXCELLENT location, probably best location in Recoleta. Tiny lobby, nothing fancy. Not well known even to cab drivers, tell them 1948 Calle Guido (Cashay Geedo in the unique Argentine pronunciation) across from Club Affaire. Affaire and Closers girls quote $100, will take 150p($70) and they love that the hotel is right across the street. Because it only takes 10 seconds to get to this hotel, they usually stay longer. If you have a room in front, it allows them to hang out and watch out the window to see if club gets busy. Then they stay for hours on a slow night, which is good reason to ask for room in front (if you donīt mind street noise). My date even came back when she got off at 6 a.m. and offered a freebie if I took her to breakfast... How cool is THAT????
Is that where it is? I always thought that was a super expensive place.
I have problems with taxi drivers finding Etoile as well. I just tell them Guido y Junin.
I'm staying at the Dazzler next time. 25 dollars and it's supposed to be a 4 star. The pictures look good. It looks new. Their website wanted $39 before tax. Marya, who recommmended it as well, wanted $42 including tax. Travelocity wanted $25 before tax. It's about a 20 minute walk to the zone in Recoleta.
If I can get Apart Recoleta for $45 at the door, I may just move. Etoile is booked solid.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by DownBA
[i]
The price was ridiculously low in my opinion taking the exchange rate into consideration. I paid $187P per night which boils down to about U$55 per night including the 21 percent tax that they add on.
DownBA,
YIKES!!!!!!!!
How did you get that deal? Off the street negotiations, through an agent such as Mayra.
Please let me know privately at ww2001us@yahoo.com or on the list - whichever you prefer.
Info much appreciated. as I'm looking to upgrade, standard to suite...
Bond, James Bond in Mongolia, BA
Bond, sorry, I actually paid $198 P per night plus the 21% tax. Still works out to very little at 3.5: 1. But the suite was ENORMOUS and every girl echoed that sentiment. Yes, I got this rate from Mayra at www.argentinago.com, very, very, nice and acommodating women.
To the poster who posted just before Bond:
As for finding the Etoile, just tell the chicas to tell the cabbie to go to the corner of Quintanas & Presidente M. Ortiz and tell the girl to walk a half block toward Guido and look to her left for the big E over the door. In actuality you can't drive to the Etoile without extreme difficulty and no cabbie in the city can find it without dropping buckets of sweat. So just use the "corner of Quintanas & Presidente M. Ortiz" approach and your dates will find it relatively easily.
Bond, what did you think of Nuevo Estilo Boliche? I'm feeling a bit proud of myself fellas since I think you'll all readily agree that my posts were the very first that identified this place after I found it last year when I stayed at the Hotel Golf Tower down the street from it on La Pampa. I loved the place and on the plane ride home an Argentinian told me he went there at about 4 in the afternoon and was greeted at the door by a STUNNER!! Please post about this place fellas since I loved it last year. DownBA
Thanks for this. I was booked at "America All Suites", but switched to the Dazzler for $1 more since it looked better in the pictures.
By the way, all the hotels in BA that I've stayed at make the girl register. The 50 pesos though ....
Are the rooms good at least?
[QUOTE]Originally posted by jodomas
[i]I just stayed at "America All Suites Studios" and it is not chica friendly. They charge 50 pesos to bring the chica in and she has to register before coming in. The "Bestwestern Embassy All Suites" is their sister hotel so is probably the same policy.
Utell is not a hotel chain but a reservation system. I used them to book this hotel the day before I went and the reservation was there upon arrival at hotel. I will use this service in the future.
Anyone knows if hotels Dazzler, Presidente, or Bisonte Palace are chica friendly.
Jodomas [/i][/QUOTE]
justgotback...some hotels simply require the girl to leave her national id at the front desk rather than making her register. She picks up her id on the way out......I don't know about the 50pesos, but many hotels make the girl pay if you are registered for one person.....I usually register for two when I book the room and I have never had to pay extra. There may be exceptions, of course....
Guys;
Here is part of the hotel confirmation from Utell for "America Studios All Suites"
Room Description: Standard Room Double Bed
Rate Description: Americas Special Promo
Number of Adults: 2
Number of Rooms/Suites: 1
Number of Beds: 1
Quoted Rate: 22.00 United States Dollars
Confirmed Rate: 22.00 United States Dollars
Rooms are big and recently remodeled. Small shower and tiny twin beds. Their deffinition of double bed is two twins pushed together. Good A/C and celing fan, BA was very hot last few days. Very small safe deposit boxes in the tiny lobby. I don't mind to register the girl for security reasons but it could be a bit embarrasing if the staff is a woman.
Overall experince: OK budget hotel, not chica friendly, not good for the hobby.
Justgotback: Please post your experience at the Dazzler. The hotel looks good from the outside. I believe this hotel used to be called Bisonte before. I stayed at the Bisonte on my first trip to BA about 12 years ago. I was with my girlfriend at the time so no hobby.
jodomas
my previous reservation for a hotel fell through....I found a last minute replacement...Howard Johnsons Plaza (formerly Mariott Courtyard) on Plaza San Martin. Arg195 inluding IVA and breakfast for two. King room....It has a pool and gym...and a great location, but I have never stayed here.
Anyone have any experience with this hotel? I hope it is chica friendly......if not, I will use a temp hotel the first day and switch hotels!!!