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Not to pour cold water on the excellent services that Myra provides for Mongers w.r.t. finding Hotels in BA but in the spirit of truth in advertising, I need to report the following:
I was able to book a good suite at Cristoforo Colombo (see report below) for $110AR /day including tax. I booked this through Travelocity who quoted me $30US / day. When I arrived at Cristoforo Colombo and asked why my rate was $110AR when Travelocity quoted me $90AR ($30US * 3$AR/$US) their reply was that the Travelocity rate was exclusive of the tax (which thus amounted to roughly $20AR / day.)
While working through Myra, I was quoted me the following rates:
Executive Standard (double): $ 116 Pesos + tax per night
Executive Super (double): $ 139 Pesos + tax per night.
Having seen all of the rooms lines at the hotel, I have concluded that I had at least the equivalent of the Executive Standard Suite that Myra quoted. There was only one set of suites (those overlooking the pool) that were superior to the one I was in. Thus I saved at least $26AR per day by booking through Travelocity rather than through Myra. Staying their for 11 nights, I thus saved on the order of $100US over the course of my trip by booking through Travelocity rather than through Myra.
I also need to report that I was looking for a hotel with a good outdoor swimming pool and Myra was unaware of Cristoforo Colombo's pool until I mentioned it to her (after reading a recommendation of it in this section by DownBA several weeks ago.)
Having said all of this, I think Myra does a decent job. If one is not willing to do some of the legwork to save a few extra dollars, Myra did recommend some other Hotels with pools and provided me with some information I was unable to find out in a different manner. For example, she called the hotel and confirmed that the pool was already open for the summer. This was an important piece of information that I wasn't able to find in another manner.
DfB
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Legomaniac,
I usually get an Executive Suite (not real large by US standards) at the "Grand Boulevard Hotel (.com)". It's not in Recoleta, but easy Taxi rides, the staff is very service oriented and you'll love the large marble Bathrooms with jacuzzi. The Mini bars are reasonably priced too. Let me know if I can help with corporate rate, at 220peso/ night includes all taxes and breakfast. Oh, extremely girl friendly, they just like you to check the girls in at no charge which is ok with me because this way I am protected.
MM
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DFB,
I commend you for venturing out of the confines of downtown and Recoleta and into the residential area of Palermo.
RE: Pricing....I usually check several on-line sources and get the best price possible BEFORE making contact with a local travel agent. When I speak with the agent I make it clear that I would like to do business with them, but not if it will cost me money. Usually, the local agent will meet or beat the price of an on line source.
A second approach to working with a local agent is simply to tell her you are interested in the best available hotel in a given price range/category....the discounts they are offered may vary from time to time, and one hotel or another may provide incentives during slack times....so Design Suites may be a bargain one month, and not the next, etc.....
I have not worked with Mayra, although I have met her....but I feel certain she is like the agent I work with...and will earn your business if you provide guidelines/structure.....
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Dick for Brains....so, did I give you a good hotel recommendation? You didn't mention in your report if you liked Cristofor Colombo but I have very fond memories of the place since it was the very first hotel I ever stayed at in BA....let me know what you thought and if you thought the Colombo was a good buy for the money? Thanks, DownBA
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DBA,
There's an earlier report (12/24) where I give a better summary of the hotel and its surroundings.
In short, the hotel was a great deal at around $37US/night including taxes. The pool provided needed comfort on a couple of those hot summer days. The suite was more than adequate, and I loved the neighborhood (especially on the other side of Avenida Santa Fe in Palermo Viejo.)
I thanked you there and I'll thank you again for a fine recommendation.
DfB
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Just have a couple of questions....
I've been spending too much time in Rio and am looking for something a little different for my next trip. Argentina seems like the obvious choice, so here's my questions:
1. Please give me some feedback on the Marriott in Buenos Aires (ie, do they allow you to bring girls to your room, how's the location of the hotel in relation to all of the good spots)
2. What are some good alternatives to the Marriott if they have too many restrictions and the location of the hotel is too far from all of the action?
Again, I'm just now looking into Buenos Aires, so this place is completely new to me. I'll gladly exchange information though, if there's anything you may want to know about Rio. Thanks for any feedback on my two questions!!
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Bizznich,
Mariott is chica friendly. There are ton of other options - Alvear palace (probably the most expensive), Etoile (great location), Lois Suites, Art Suites, Castellar (budget) and private apartments. Your best bet is to contact Mayra. PM me if you need more info.
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DFB and others,
Just checking online at Expedia.com, I have seen in mid March most good hotels in BA going from 80-150 dollars US per night. Seems far from the bargains I keep hearing about. So it might be possible that a travel agent would be the better way to go. Without this board a travel agent would probably be essential as most Americanos wouldnt know one BA hotel from another.
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Racker,
The point I am trying to make is that we do have this board and as a result, we can communicate information directly without the need of an "agent".
Agents are much more useful in the absence of a board like this. The fact that there are $150 hotels is immaterial to me since through the use of this board, I was able to find hotels in the $35 range that satisfied all of my needs.
For those of us, who even after knowing about this board, still use agents, that's fine. It does take time gathering the information through all of the reports, and for some it may make sense to use these agents.
To each his own. We all have different tastes, different incomes, different time constraints, etc.
I do think it is important to report truthfully and not merely act as shills for some of the commercial enterprises on this board. I have in fact received pms from mongers regarding bad service from some of these agents. These mongers refuse to report these bad experiences publicly on the board for fear of public humiliation as happened a month or two ago after a negative report of an agent showed up on the board. I think this is censorship of the worst kind.
We all have a responsibility to report truthfully, whether the experience is good, bad or indifferent. We have all benefited from those who have gone before us and the best way we can give back is to report honestly.
Only with honest information can the monger decide for himself, given his tastes and circumstances, whether he wants to use these agents' services or not.
DfB
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Very True DFB.
For those of us going to BA for the first time, there is some apprehension, particularly for us Americans who arent used to adventures.
This board enables us to at least discuss the various hotels, which are chica friendly, which arent, etc.
But its the price issue that concerns me. I see wildly fluctuating prices at some hotels. Youve gotten good ones at $35 per night, Ive seen others listed on the intenet for $150 per night that may not be any better.
I guess the best way to go is contact the hotel directly via the Internet.
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Some additional thoughts on hotels and the use of agents
There are several reasons to use an agent.
1. Knowledge of the local market. 2. To save money. 3. To save time.
DFB notes that via the board we, too, have knowledge of the local market....very helpful in a place like Buenos Aires where some 4 star hotels are flea traps while others are 4 star hotels by U.S. or European standards, making it impossible to know what you are getting by looking at ratings...
2. To save time.
It takes time to surf the net. I usually check the hotel web site, Travelocity, Octopus Travel, etc before booking when I reserve my own room.....then there is the issue of transportation to/from the airport, a local cell phone, etc.....a good agent can save you time, if this is a consideration....
3. To save money.
I have found that in Buenos Aires more than in other places I have been, a good agent can save you money if you are flexible....agents may have access to rates you do not have, simply because Argentinos like to do business with other Argentinos....case in point: Design Suites....you can almost always save money by working through an agent rather than by booking yourself directly with the hotel or via travelocity, etc. This may not be so with all hotels and all agents....it pays to know in advance what the market is.....
I had a frustrating series of emails with Design Suites over price....I found a good price over the internet on a Spanish only site....emailed in English...and received a reply that this rate was for Argentinos only....I would have to pay the extranjero rate, found on Travelocity....Interestingly, when I checked with my agent, she got me the lower rate without a problem....not smart on the part of the hotel, since they paid my agent a commission they didn't need to pay had they simply given me the room in the first place....I
On a related topic, I agree with DFB's assessment that for us to get the most out of this site we need to be able to provide candid reviews of agents as well as chicas.....not to flame the agent, but to honestly discuss their strengths and weaknesses....This having been said, my agent saves me money and saves me time.....I am a happy camper!
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DfB seems obsessed on the topic of travel agents, so I will throw this out - neither Expedia, Orbitz, Yahoo Travel, etc.... has ever gotten me into a hotel that was listed on the internet as sold out. Mayra has.
If you want to spend hours surfing the net finding the absolute lowest price ever, be my guest. And when you're in Buenos Aires, you can take your computer out to lunch with you. Me, I always make it a point to dine with my wonderful travel agent, who saves me money and time and has also become a personal friend.
-Uncle Otto
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MeGustaBoliches
It seems like you have access to a great agent and advantages over some of us mongers. It would be helpfull to the new and veteran mongers if you could share your agent.
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Thai,
My travel agent's name is Cintia. She and her husband own a small agency called WowArgentina...wowargentina.com....She is part of the travel industry and is in no way involved with our hobby....but she is a superb agent!
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MeGustaBoliches
Thanks for the information. I was referring to accommodations and airfare. Any reasonable saving on time and/or money would help make the trip more enjoyable. I didn't imply anything else about your agent.
Thanks again.
