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Would appreciate feedback on the following regarding location, locale, general proximity
to pubs/bars, as well as "girl-friendly" attitudes
for:
InterContinental Hotel...and Grand Boulevard Hotel
located on Bernardo de Irigoyen.
Thanks for the great info everyone provides.
Saint and others, I am traveling to buenos aires the first week in December. I am an american but parents were from argentina so i speak the language fluently. Wanting to know if you or others might be there that week. thanks.
Lois Suites charged me $150 including tax per night. Excellent quality hotel right in the center of Recoleta. Compared to Etoile, it was expensive, but Etoile is somewhat rundown and has horrible beds.
All told I think I would check into a cheaper alternative to Lois Suites, but if you want a clear four-star choice, it is an excellent one.
Jackson said that he really liked the Art Suites, so perhaps that is an alternative.
-Otto
the designsuites also looked very good. i checked out the hotel last week and thought it was par with loisuites.
also cheaper.
the rooms are more comfortable then appear on their website.
try to book an executive suite for $100 a night. thats what they offered me to move over from the loisuites.
more like an ian shrager hotel.
starfe
the staff at loisuites was like a booking agency for me. if you do not speak spanish they will make all the calls. i lost count of how many appt i had during the day and they kept perfect records.
there are few hotels in the world that offer that particular service.
just tip well, and you will get the results you are looking for. great buffet breakfasts also.
i even let them negotiate some of the ladies for me.
artsuites was a more basic style apartment. i found the couches to be hard but the beds firm.
great price in a very non-distinct building. no name of hotel on the outside.
i would consider this hotel for stays over 1 week.
best described as furniture you would get from
" rent a room".
not a throw away by any means.
if price is a consideration then arts will do fine.
my second hobby in life is checking out hotels all over the world.
claridge hotel ( $100 us) rooms looked great. very comfortable decor in good shopping area. taxis galore.
all in all stay in the recoleta area for general safety concerns.
everything is in walking distance for a " man about town "
alvear hotel was the best. also girl friendly. this is for the man who has money to burn.( $220 us ) a night. if they met my loisuites rate i was a " in". no such luck.
the only hotel i did not see was the inter-continental.
the location did not give me a rise.
The designsuites also looked very good. i checked out the hotel last week and thought it was par with loisuites. Also cheaper. The rooms are more comfortable then appear on their website.
Try to book an executive suite for $100 a night. thats what they offered me to move over from the loisuites.
More like an ian shrager hotel.
I'm a bit confused here. Are you talking about artsuites (not loisuites), like an ian shrager hotel?
http://www.designsuites.com/ingle.htm
this one is the modern one.
very south beach
I have read the posts but one question I still have is this..at the Etoile, do the girls have to register to come to your room?
RB1,
Yes, the girls MUST register at the Etoile. It doesn't matter how much the guys like you. I was tipping them every single night and they still required the girl to leave her ID with the front desk and collect it when she left the next day or later that night.
Keep in mind this is done for your protection in case the girl steals something from your room or worse. I saw many, many girls and they all had to register. A few times I tried dodging the guys at the front desk thinking I was home free only to have the "other guy" (there is another older guy that stands around the elevator or sits in this little desk near the elevators). He will make sure the girls register. This was back when I was there in May but my amigo was just there last week and they made him register his chicas also.
One night one of his girls didn't have her ID so she had to go home and get it. Another night a girl didn't have her ID so he went to a short-stay hotel that rents by the hour. Rule of thumb, make sure the girl has her ID when you leave the club with her. It would really suck to pay her exit fee only to have her say she doesn't have her ID with her.
The location of the Etoile is great as I've mentioned countless times but the beds are not ideal. I can't say enough nice things about the staff but I doubt I'll ever stay there again. Too many nice places like Art Suites, Design Suites, etc. But if you don't have any trouble sleeping on any type of bed that you'll be in heaven at Etoile.
hmmm, artsuites vs. designsuites (both equal-enough in price, both same distance from main recoletta action - no?)...
which street is safer to walk (i haven't been since nov-01 - are either safe still?) at night, with girl or after action:
-alvear to get to designsuites, or
-azcuenaga to get to artsuites
thanks!
For those still interested in Etoile. These were the rates I just got today.
The rates are the following:
STANDARD ROOM: $132 + TAX ( 21% )
EXECUTIVE SUITE: $154 + TAX ( 21% )
DIPLOMATIC SUITE: $170 + TAX ( 21% )
Includes American Buffet Breakfast, Spa and parking.
Suites could be triple with an extra charge of $20 pesos + tax. The
rates
are in pesos, per night, per room.
I stayed at The Castelar Hotel at my visit i BA.
[url]www.castelarhotel.com.ar[/url]
A very nice hotel and great prices too. I payed 112 pesos/night including tax, good breakfast, spa. With todays exchange rate it equals us$32!!! They were also very chica friendly. Although I gave the deskman 10 pesos each time I brought up a chica, I don't know if I would have had to do that...but he was happy.
I can't understand why you guys pay us$100 for staying at expensive hotels in Recoleta. I mean, you can get a girl "for free" every day, staying at an other good, but less expensive hotel. A cab from downtown to Recoleta is about 5 pesos...
But my guess is, you guys are loaded with dollars.... :-)
Have a nice stay.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by mazen
[i]I stayed at The Castelar Hotel at my visit i BA.
www.castelarhotel.com.ar
A very nice hotel and great prices too. I payed 112 pesos/night including tax, good breakfast, spa. They were also very chica friendly. But my guess is, you guys are loaded with dollars.... :-)
[/i][/QUOTE]
Hi Mazen, because I am not one of those "loaded with dollars" I would like to know more details about the Castelar hotel.
I had a look at their website and the place looks OK, very central in downtown.
I checked their price list and they quite 112 Arg $ for a Single and 125 Arg $ for a Junior Suite. I guess from the price you paid you stayed in the single room ... did you see any difference with the Junior Suites. And also Did you ever experience any problem bring "home" some chicas ??? How was the breakfast in the morning ??? What about the beds ... as we all know from this forum in the Etoile the beds are pretty shity ..... And also, is the price you mentione inclusive of VAT (21%) or not ???
Thank you in advance, your contribution is much appreciated !!
Ro
rob_roy5@hotmail.com
Mazen,
Everything is relative in life. Yes, I'm sure some of the guys that read/post to this board are wealthy. (For the record...I'm NOT one of them). I'm sure the Castelar and other more cost effective hotels are ideal for those on a budget.
You ask why some guys would spend up to $100 US per night for a hotel room in Recoleta. It's the same reason why some guys drive BMW's, Mercedes, Porshe's and some drive Ford Festiva's, Yugos, or a pickup truck. Everyone has different tastes and comfort levels. Yes, it might seem downright silly for someone to spend upwards of $80,000 + for a car but that is their comfort zone.
I agree that you can find a great room in/ near Recoleta for less than $100 US a night. You can get a room at Art Suites for $70 (21% tax included) or Design Suites for about $5 - $10 more per night. The Etoile will work for many people. My theory is that If I'm gonna fly 12+ hours to get to B.A. I'm NOT going to stay somewhere that I'm not comfortable in. To me, things like a great bed, good bathroom, comfortable room, great staff, location, restaurants near it, etc. are very important.
If you're a hard core hobbyer then you'll spend much of your time in your bed and your room. Need something that will work for you. That's the great thing about B.A. There is something there for everyone. That I'm sure of! Good luck.
The following site quotes ~US$27 for a Castelar room, not sure if it includes the 21% tax:
http://www.buenos-aires-hotels.org/show/7707f483bc113d5451b7501709581969/Castelar/Hotel/&/Spa/info.html
Larry mentioned that the hotel is guest friendly. It is also described by many guidebooks as very good value, with a "splendid sense of history".
Wow....$26 per night at a 4 star hotel. Unbelievable.
clsncntr .. posted the below addy and it really sums up the hotel situation in BA...at least regarding star level=cost factor.
.http://www.buenos-aires-hotels.org/show/7707f483bc113d5451b7501709581969/Castelar/Hotel/&/Spa/info.html.....$26 per night for a 4 star hotel.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by rob_roy5
[i]
Hi Mazen, because I am not one of those "loaded with dollars" I would like to know more details about the Castelar hotel.
I had a look at their website and the place looks OK, very central in downtown.
I checked their price list and they quite 112 Arg $ for a Single and 125 Arg $ for a Junior Suite. I guess from the price you paid you stayed in the single room ... did you see any difference with the Junior Suites. And also Did you ever experience any problem bring "home" some chicas ??? How was the breakfast in the morning ??? What about the beds ... as we all know from this forum in the Etoile the beds are pretty shity ..... And also, is the price you mentione inclusive of VAT (21%) or not ???
Thank you in advance, your contribution is much appreciated !!
Ro
[email]rob_roy5@hotmail.com[/email] [/i][/QUOTE]
The place is great. Yes, I stayed in a single room, so I cant tell you the difference with the Junior Suites. There were NEVER any problems bringing home "chicas". The breakfast was exactly as good as you can expect in a good hotel. The beds were also good, and yes, prices mentioned include VAT. I think I answered all your questions. If you want to know anything else, just ask.
How far is Castelar Hotel from recolata ?
I'm curious what Saint, LA Larry and our other online BA experts think of this deal.
It's about 10-15 minutes with a cab. Cost is about 5 pesos.
Rickster,
Hotels' star rating system can be very deceiving. But even if it is a 3-star hotel, Castelar sounds like a good value. Besides, I prefer a hotel with some (historical or local) character over a modern generic one.
One guidebook comments that the "interior rooms have limited light", and suggests "chose one of the 44 rooms facing the Aveneda [de Mayo]". Maybe that is the difference between the standard rooms and the junior suites.
I bet the locals like Andre and Mariscal can recommend other good value lodgings.
re: castelar hotel, since you ask
i've been to b.a. twice before, once on business when i stayed on av florida (same area as castelar - centro), and then for fun when i stayed in recoleta.
i would not stay at the castelar, unless saving $10-20 per night is that important. just me, but i'd rather stay in recoleta.
you can get a room at a nice enough place for about the same money and be _walking distance_ from recoleta, or be on the square (eg. etoile hotel - where i've stayed).
yes cabs are cheap, but i like to be able to step out for a quick walk (get a water, snack, do the internet, grab a coffee, stop at the drug store, etc) and be in the scene.
av florida and centro is a very tourist area. i'd compare it to union square in sf, or say the 50s in manhattan. yes, nice hotels, but the locas don't live in the area. i prefer to stay in say the marina or pac heights in sf, or say soho or noho in nyc.
imho of course...
I was just at the Castelar. Itīs a good hotel. Not really 4 star IMHO. I moved to Etoile today. The way I see it, Castelar is about $10 cheaper, but itīs worth it to stay at the Etoile. The rooms in Etoile are about twice as big, they are nicer, love the fridge for after activity drinks and the neighborhood is much better. Also, I just donīt know how to describe it, but the vibe I get from the Etoile staff when I bring a girl back is more laid backed. I got this disapproving feel from the Castelar staff. I think itīs much more common in the Etoile than the Castelar. Castelar is more of a legit, family tourist place. I also heard from some of the PlayWoman girls, that some of their dates have had things stolen out of their rooms at Castelar. They charge 10 pesos to have a guest, the Etoile doesnīt. Also, the convenience factor at Etoile is priceless. Yes, Castelar is only a few minutes away by cab, but itīs just not the same.
If I were just traveling for traveling sake, I would stay at the Castelar. It has more local charm. But if youīre on this forum, stay at Etoile and be in the heart of things.
Trust me. Nothing can compare to staying in or close to Recoleta. Yes, taxis can take you anywhere but as several mentioned... there is nothing like walking out of your hotel and being in the heart of the action.
Also, if you are saying Etoile's rooms are nicer than Castelar than Castelar must be a 2 star hotel. Etoile is no more than a 3 star hotel at best. You all know where I stand on the beds there. Although after reading some of your posts maybe some of the beds are newer than others. Or maybe some of you are the type that could sleep in your cars. I do know the pillows suck. My buddy also agreed about pillows.
If saving $10 - $20 per night is a "deal breaker" for you than you probably shouldn't be going to BA in the first place. I'm not saying to waste money....just my opinion. Every dollar does add up, so don't mistake my message.
Have fun.
Gentlemen,
Thank you all for your succinct and interesting appraisals and comparisons of the Castelar with other hotels.
I now have my trip narrowed down to BA.
Now I need to narrow my hotel down to one. It's a toosup between Artsuites, Designsuites and Etoile.
Rickster
ps: I joined WSA for just one month several days ago....I believe this site is better....and free to boot. I'm not trashing WSA....it just doesn't seem to be as active and personally.... I have a more difficult time getting around it's site through it's interface. I don't think the interface is as user friendly.
Rickster,
My suggestion is that you book one or two nights at a hotel. If you feel comfortable, then stay longer. If not, just move on to an other hotel. There are hundreds of hotels i BA, and loads of them i Recoleta too. As the economic situation is i BA, there are ALWAYS rooms available at any hotel. You don't need to pre-book anything. Good luck!
I don't know if I can emphasize this enough, but with this continued talk about the Etoile Hotel, Uncle Otto feels constrained to say: THE BEDS SUCK! FIND ANOTHER HOTEL!
Yes, the staff is "chica friendly" and all that, and the rates are low. But in an earlier life Tio Otto used to sleep soundly inside the back of a charging M-113 Armored Personnel Carrier, and he even occasionally caught 20 winks while marching in a column with his battalion.
At Etoile, he woke up every morning with a backache!
-Tio Otto de Buenos Aires
i will be in b.a. at the end of the month, and like you i narrowed my hotel choice to those three: art, design, etoile.
design was quickly eliminated as it's not in recoleta, just as far away (more) as the castelar.
now, unlike otto, i never even noticed the beds being less than fine on my last stay at etoile. so that wasn't a factor for me (i like a hard bed). maybe all rooms are not the same, or maybe i just didn't notice...
still, this trip i am giving artsuites a chance. the rooms will clearly be nicer (more of a suite with livingroom). same price, maybe slightly more. location is not quite as perfect, art is 4.5 blks from the recoleta "plaza", and then about 90 degrees from the most active corner of the plaza, but this is not a bad walk (pending weather) with various 1st floor retail places along the way.
summary - i just went through the same choices you did - pick etoile or art and you'll be happy.
While the beds at Etoile arenīt the best in the world, they donīt bother me at all. The pillows on the otherhand, do suck. I usually dig through all 4 in the room before I find an OK one.
As for the messy showers, it all depends on the room. In some rooms, thereīs no sign of water on the floor. In others, like the one Iīm in now, I have to mop up afterwards with the bath mat. Luckily the maids do come around twice a day, so that wet mat dissappears quickly.
bapunta, Thanks for the comment on the attitudes of the staffs at Castelar vs Etoile regarding guests. An important consideration for those less than thick skinned. Also not mentioned in the guidebooks, lol.
I'm not sure when I will going down to BA - probably sooner than later - and may stay as long as a month, maybe even more.
I'm seriously considering an apartment rental in Recoleta.
Check out this three bedroom (four if you include the servants room) three bathrooms, a luxury apartment in Recoleta next to the Caesar Hotel for $100/day plus tax.
It has a terrace, large living room, kitchen, parking garage, etc.
http://www.parera156.com/
And I'm sure it couldn't be more chica friendly.
Makes one reconsider the hotel option:-)
Jamesbond69,
Nice looking apartment but I think they are asking too much. Times are desparate for many down there now which puts you in the driver's seat. Check with Mayra at argentinago.com and reference the apartments at parera156. Email me at tooshman@hotmail.com.
Toosh
Hotel Republica???
$27 per night- including tax
4 Stars?
Anyone know about this place???
Take the "5 star" system in Buenos Aires with a grain of salt. Or actually disreguard it. The Etoile hotel told me they were considered 5 star and they are 3 star at best. You also have to be realistic. It's VERY doubtful you'll find a 4 star quality hotel for $27 US per night. Even with all their economic/social problems you will be hard pressed to spend that little for a high calibre room.
Good luck though.
NH Hotels...
friendly to guests?
anyone have any thoughts?
Hi, Everyone.
Back in the U.S. and not very happy about it. I noticed that no one posted about the Loi Suites Arenales so here's my input:
I booked it through Mayra. Decent location. About 5 minute cab ride from Recoleta area. Free access to internet. They have one of their rooms set aside as the guest business office. One computer, printer, etc. Very nice if no one else is using. They will also let you use their own computers as backup. Very nice staff.
Room/apt. was kinda small compared to the Etoile but it suited my needs. $56 USD a night tax. included. Busy section of town so if you don't like noise, it may not be the place for you.
Chica friendly. One day, I think I came in 3 seperate times with 3 different girls. If it's early enough (7pm), and the girl is dressed decently, she doesn't have to register. I encountered no problems whatsoever.
Kick Stand
I have stayed in 3 hotels in Buenos Aires, listed here in order of preference: Art Suites, Holiday Inn Express, and Claridge.
Art Suites. I have stayed here twice, once in late November of last year (3 weeks), and for 10 days in August, 2002. The current rate is $55 for stays of 10 days, if you pay in cash. With tax, $66.45 per day. You will need to book direct for this rate. [url]www.artsuites.com.ar[/url]
My first time in this hotel, they moved me to a two-bedroom suite because I was with them for three weeks. Two bedroom suites are more than double the size of one bedroom suites...nicer living area, kitchen, views, etc....
The one bedroom suites are located in the rear. I was dissatisfied with the first suite they assigned me, so they moved me to the top floor (9). Much nicer, but still kind of small for a one bedroom.
The apartments are almost new, with plastic/hardwood floors...great beds....clean bathroom...friendly staff...free use of internet in the office. Never a problem with chicas, although I have read in posts here and on another site that this policy may change as the place has been overrun with mongers. This is basically a small, family run aparthotel...
On the downside, breakfast is very small...no cell phone rental...
Location is a blessing or a curse, depending upon your perspective. I like the neighborhood feel of being in a residential area. I can get out and explore....I like meeting people as they go about their dailey routine...in grocery stores, sitting on bench in one of the plazas, etc....But if you want to be in the center of the action, try the Etoile in the heart of Recoleta.....If Etoile is the heart, Art Suites would be the knee cap of Recoleta, 4-5 blocks away from Solid Gold and PlayWomen....
Holiday Inn Express, Puerto Madero. A downtown hotel, at the corner of Cordoba/Alem....about two or three blocks from Cutty Sark or Cafe Orleans. Nice, almost new hotel, king size beds, free breakfast and local calls. Free internet. Rate: $66USD, plus tax. Listed on some sites as a 2 star hotel, on others as a 4 star....
There is no restaurant on premises, but they have a deal with several area restaurants to provide room-delivery at a discount....this is an improvement over a typical holiday Inn restaurant..I ordered some wonderful meals from an Italian restaurant in Puerto Madero for very reasonable prices. Very chica friendly....Girls do not need to register, but will be required to leave id at the front desk...
downside...no frig in the room...rooms tend to be small....
Claridge. Downtown, 1/2block from Florida ped. mall....hmmm....what to say about Claridge......Great facade, clearly 5 star.....don't be misled....my room was 3 star at best...smallish, in need of a change of carpet....room service food not very good....breakfast buffet adequate, but not 5 star quality....Still, I got a great rate from buenosaires.com (50USD per night, tax included), staff were very friendly, no problem with chicas, and they provide cell phones for a very reasonable rate.
I have read other posts about the Castelar....Another historic hotel that my favorita says is chica friendly and which is closer to the action is Lancaster, on the corner of Reconquista and Cordoba.....Rates about the same as Castelar, maybe two or three dollars per night more expensive....
Ezy,
Welcome to the board! Guys....you're lucky to have someone like Ezy on this board. He is actually one of the guys that got me interested in BA in the first place. I'm a rookie and he is the master when it comes to BA.
Ezy went to BA before the devaluation of the peso so he can tell you first hand how lucky we all are. These wonderful chicas were probably a value even before the devaluation but now they are a steal! Also, you'll go for the girls but you'll fall in love with the city.
just back from b.a.
stayed 3 nights at the art suites. i loved the place. staff was so damn friendly!! the rooms are very nice, new. the beds are awesome. and totally girl friendly (for now)!! channel 98 on the tv is the camera in the lobby, so you can see your guest before they come up. this came in handy when one internet girl i hosted brought her friend. i didn't know until my girl was already in my apt, and she says 'my friend is in the lobby, want 2?' i looked on the tv to make my choice, and then we called the lobby.
from 7a-7p there is no one in the lobby, so it's totally like an apt scene (vs. a hotel scene).
totally in a residencial area, as i too like to walk about and talk to locals, drop into local stores, etc. there's a great coto grocery (hypermarket actually) 1.5 blks down french st (going left from hotel).
IF ANYONE LEARNS OF A GIRL-FRIENDLY POLICY CHANGE FOR ART SUITES LET'S SEE A POST PLEASE!
as this is certainly my 1st choice for hotel in b.a.
>ART SUITEES IS) totally in a residencial area, as i too like to walk about and talk to locals, drop into local stores, etc. there's a great coto grocery (hypermarket actually) 1.5 blks down french st (going left from hotel).
I guess the big debate re: reasonablty priced hotels in Recoleta
comes down to the Etoile and Art Suites.
From reading the posts the price seems more or less the same at booth ....around $60 USD including tax, right?
Art Suites has better bedsl, a more personal "family" staff and better design but Etoile is located in hobby central - playwoman, blacks, etc and has a fitness center (swimming pool?).
How 'bout internet access in your HOTEL ROOM.
Art Suites claims a DSL connection. Can you get internet in my room at Etoile?
This is a deal breaker for me in deciding on what hotel to stay, as I need to be able to work on the net while I am away.
Design suites---
Girl friendly?
How is the location compare to art suites and etoile?
gracias