2002-2004 WSG Reports

Bunda, sorry, but I was there in very early Spring of 98, my first time in BA when I had the pleasure of going to my first "boliche", which was Monte Carlo when it was still on the service road just to the side of 9 de Julio, the year I did my first two Brazilian honeys and the year I realized how in love I was with BA and all the gorgeous chicas....BUT I can't honestly say the big, round outdoor pool was in the sun because it was closed for another month or so until summer started. But if you want a really nice apart hotel, they have both regular hotel rooms and aparthotel rooms with fully stocked kitchen, separate living room, dining room, bedroom, etc. It's a short walk from Santa Fe and a short walk from Libertador too in a very nice neighborhood close to some of the many, many parks you find in Palermo. It's also down the street from one of the many outdoor red light districts in BA where, if you're not careful, you'll find that the hottie sucking your dick in the alley has one himself even though he looks great in nylons and high-heel shoes. LOL DownBA

DownBA,

Do you know when the pool at the Hotel Cristoforo Colombo in Palermo opens? Is it open now? Is this Hotel friendly para las chicas?

DfB

DFBrains, sorry, never tried to bring a chica in but from what I know of this hobby in general, if you register and pay for a double occupancy room there's little chance they're going to tell you at the Cristoforo Colombus hotel that you can't have female company. And no, don't know if the pool is open now but I'll try to find out and post an answer. Will be in BA soon and will let you know. DownBA

DownBA: I am going to be in BA in a couple of days. How can I contact you for some mongering company?

Anyone else going to be in BA in 2 days for the week? Let me know where you want to meet and I will be there.

[blue]Hi Bunda Blast,

You can contact these guys by sending them a Private Message.

Thanks,

Jackson[/blue]

Thanks to our favourite agent Ulises suites work out very well for me. In BA it pays to invest in space. Size isn´t everything but if you are not used to it you may get a depression in a long stay. Indeed after half a day and 1 chica, I decided to upgrade. Being in the better neighbour of Recoleta, size is not the strong point of Ulises, but you can always show off your balcony to the guys in Alvear. The neighbourhood at Etolia and Loisuites dosen´t look that good with all tree lining streets. And that corner is flood with tourists and locals in restaurants. It´s a short pleasant walk to Madaho and there are always taxi across the street at the door of Alvear. Lot's of bank there and in citibank you can get dollars.

As for chica friendly every hotel is the same but I would be very intimidated by the entrance in Loisuites when I´m bringing a chica home. The Ulises footprint is so tiny and if you pay off the only guy on duty, you can do what you want I guess. We can walk straight through without he looking up, or he opened the door for us. I heard they are good if you bring in two chicas but I doubt if they will complain with more. There´s only a very small number of rooms so you get very personal 1st class service.

The lifts and in suite stair case are works of art. Every room is unique though. You can´t do much in the kitchenlette unless you love Japanese style food.

APART RECOLETA HOTEL, 1948 GUIDO has gone through a change in policy: They do not permit guests in the rooms any longer! I am advised that there was a murder in one of the rooms recently. The story goes that a monger had drugs and a young chica in one of the rooms and the chica got a little too intoxicated and shot the mongerer with his own gun.

This hotel was my regular crib in ba. I pulled in the Wednesday before Thanksgiving after a nine hour flight from Miami and the consierge, who knows me, pulled me aside as I was checking in to exlpain the new NO GUESTS POLICY. The owners are upset and rude about the change in policy. I had reserved a suite for my brother and myself to have a bonding vacation months before at the super"naccional" rate. This hotel will give repeat north american guests the local argentine rate.

The owner would not help me make arrangements for another hotel. The maintence supervisor picked up the phone in defiance and called the E'toile to help me find a room. This was bizaar--the hotel staff had treated me like family in the past.

To Dick Johnson, when you find your Internet connection next time, that would be 3 month on average, please get off my back. In BA it would be 3 minutes on average.

This is the Screw, up to heaven, in my BA hotel. I do leave LA from time to time. Whenever I lie idle on the couch looking at this, I remember what I come to BA for.

MiamiBob,
I know the place your taking in Guido. That new policy sucks!
Did they try to charge some cancellation fee or something
like that?

It's has been a unique experience making food in this kitchenette. The green multifunction toaster is way better than microwave.

The Alvear (as seen from my balcony).

I got well trimmed plants too, fit for a romantic breakfast.

dancesw--THE HOTEL APART RECOLETA let me out of the reservation without any problem. My past experience was good service and kind, gentle help from the staff. The rudeness was surprising to me. The portenos are generally warm hosts towards their foreign visitors. My experience at L'etoile was very good, but double the price for a hotel which is a full level above the Hotel Apart Recoleta. i'm going back christmas time and i'll try an apartment.

I found the card of the POLO RESTAURANT in las canitas:
LA FONDA DEL POLO
BAEZ 301
LAS CANITAS PALERMO
4772 8946

This is a very good, not the absolute best, well priced restaurant and parrilla [argentine grill] in a happenening part of BA --6 peso cab ride from Recoleta. It is right below the polo stadium. You will likely be the only tourist. a couple of the waiters speak enough English to help with the menu. You should do just fine if you've ordered off of a parilla menue a few times before. The balance of the menue is very good, but you'll need some spanish.

Loi Suites Recoleta is definitely chica friendly. As long as you walk in with confidence your not going to get hassled. Neither me nor my friends were ever questioned or asked to register the girls. The guys who work the night shift are super cool they even sent girls to our rooms one morning as we arranged it the night before.You must be discreet as the day shift I'm sure knows nothing of the practice.

Also on a side note I spent a week at the Marriott on Florida street. They did not require registration of girls either but there's not much in the way of nightlife in that part of town unless the"Piano Bar"- Le Piaf counts. I did spend a couple hours there one night-rip off.

I was intimidated by the spot light and the layout of the entrance of Loi Suites. Not only that you may discover at the spot that the chica you brought with you is less than perfect, and that people walking across the street can see into the front desk.

Good note from Jonny Hit Run.
Going back to your room with confidence, chica in hand, works 99% of the time in avoiding a sign-in. I have stayed in 7 hotels in BA and all but my first time, did I have a chica sign-in. (Probably not the case with the very high end hotels). And then, I believe only because she marched up to the desk in expectation of having to sign in. Some others have done a slight hesitation walking near the sign-in desk, only to have me gently turn them towards the elevators. At Design Suites, asking the security guy prior to a nightly excurssion, he said you have to sign them in. Five hours later on my return, he just waved us on, laughing.

It is appreciated that the staff call your room first before allowing a chica on the elevator, even if she knows your room number. Saves potential embarrassment for all parties. I had a repeat once who was annoyed at the clerk insisting he call up prior to her embarking the elevator. Proffesional move on the cleks part.

My pet peeve is those huge key holders some hotels hang there keys on, and they expect you to drop off the key before you leave the hotel. Of course, you just take the key holder off so you can stash the key in your pocket, (remember your room #.)
As some have stated here earlier, you may wish to have your date check in for your own protection. Seems like a long shot to me however.
MAG

I sure as hell know some good night life on Florida near the Marriott!

I must say that "Chica Sign-In" is for YOUR SAFETY. If you get ripped off, robbed, drugged, assaulted in your room, it is much more difficult to know who did it if there's no record of the woman's existence. I highly recommend you get them signed in and get over your reluctance in this matter.

If you guys are too shy to sign a girl in at the reception desk, you really should be considering something a bit less outgoing for a hobby. Perhaps birdwatching. I mean it, people in hotels have seen it ALL. Bringing a woman back to your room with you in Buenos Aires is hardly shocking.

-Uncle Otto

Dickhead said:

I sure as hell know some good night life on Florida near the Marriott!

Amen

While I neither agree nor disagree, overall, with OG I do have a comment (this comment is generic to Latin America rather than specific to BA). Many times, the hotel will pull out your registration sheet at the time they have the chica sign in, or worse yet, even have her sign that sheet. This results in HER knowing YOUR real name and perhaps other info, which can be an issue. You may want to have a proactive conversation with the desk clerks to prevent this (a small amount of money should probably change hands at this point).

My favorite security method is when they keep her ID, then when she goes to get it back from the desk, they call and check if everything is OK before they give it back. This at least HELPS to make sure you are not lying up there with a shiv in your gut and an empty wallet. Many times you can request that they do this (and some money should change hands at this point as well).

My preference is to manage my own safety myself but Otto makes good points and I am Irish and we have a long tradition of being too dumb to be scared.

Interestingly, there are two gals in particular whom I see in BA who have NEVER been asked for ID or to sign in, in the same places where other gals have been asked. They greatly appreciate it and I consider it a reflection of the fact they are discreet in how they look and act. Gals you could bring home to mom, in other words.

Another thing that has worked over the years as far as not having anything stolen out of my hotel room is never having anything in there worth stealing unless it is cash, which is pretty easy to hide if you have any imagination. I think in Latin America most hotel employees would not risk their hard-to-get jobs by stealing from rooms but the chicas are another story. I never do TLN so that has probably decreased my risk as well.

MAG, I hate those huge key rocks and leaving my key at the desk also. I see it mostly in smaller places (Hotel Marbella does it) and I wonder if it's so when they see all the keys are out of the slots they can then take a nap.

Tito Otto,
Good advice Otto. Still, I would rather not have the 'record'' as who knows what happens with it. The staff see you anyway, sign-in or no sign-in. As DH reports, I 'prepare' my room to be safe prior to going out for the evening in order that it is in a state of readiness on return. Although many times they clear the food snacks off the mini-bar, gulping half a bag down, the rest into the purse, (and always ask permission), I have not had so much as a soap 'stolen'. But yes, be prepared. Another point is that unless they are a SW, you know where they work out of, what site they are on, etc. Unless you were very richly ripped off, they will still want to be associated with their marketing partners, with whom you could discuss any problems.
MAG

In my previous visit to Buenos Aires I stayed at the LOIS Suites. The rooms were nice and the staff was very chica friendly. Severally of the night staff would ask to bring me girls which I assume would share the payoff with them. While my paranoid mind felt everybody was laughing at me in the morning (I usually brough 2 girls back each night) the staff was always extremely courteous when I would return with the chicas. I never checked in but would always greet the doorman with a ten peso hand shake and that seemed to make him extremely thankful.

On my next trip I was hoping to stay somewhere special and am looking for suggestions. Ideally I would like something like a suite you would find at a nice hotel like in Las Vegas. Jacuzzi, spacious, and most important chica friendly. I don't want an upgraded hotel room I want a legitiamte suite. ANybody have any suggestions.

Also does anybody know what hotels if any have American movies available for pay per view. My biggest frustration with LOIS was the television.

Hey guys,

Looking for useful information on Marriott Plaza Hotel on Florida 1005. If any one stayed there please let me know if it is a nice place and if there are any problems bringing girls in.

Also, how far is the city center or Recoleta. Is there anything interesting close to Marriot?

Thanks in advance.

Hotel Cristoforo Colombo in Palermo:

DownBA - Thanks for the information (several weeks ago) about Hotel Cristoforo Colombo in Palermo. I stayed there for two weeks having just returned to The States on Sunday.

The hotel is in Barrio Palermo, an excellent neighborhood a couple minutes away from the core monger action. The Hotel has an outdoor pool, which has been open since November 15th, and provides a nice place to relax in between adventures during the summer season. I had a queen size bed in my bedroom, a living room with small kitchen, hassle-free mongering, in a decent upper-middle-class neighborhood for a little over $30US per day. The only complaint I had about the suite was that there was some construction taking place a few buildings south that provided a rude awakening every day.

Another interesting fact about the hotel is that it is located at the tip of the transvestite red zone. Beware of these street walkers - they look like authentic mujeres and provided this monger with one close call on my first night in BA. I woke up at midnight after a nap on my first day, headed outside for a walk and got picked up by one of these ladies of the night. I brought her (him) up to my room. When (s)he insisted that I pay in advance, no deal was consummated (lucky for me) and out (s)he went. When I returned for my walk, I realized what these street walkers were and thanked my lucky stars!

Palermo is a great location, less than a $2US taxi ride from the core of Recoleta. It's also reachable by a variety of busses that pass on Avenida Santa Fe. In particular, Lines 59 and 60 will get you to Recoleta at all hours for about $0.25US. You can also travel/explore the subway system for the same price as the bus. The hotel is at the Palermo stop on the "D" line. The subway system is a good way to get to/from the hotel and the Microcentre during rush hours but has the obvious disadvantage that you don't get a chance to see the city while travelling to and fro.

There's quite a few good restaurants in Palermo Viejo, just across Avenida Santa Fe from Palermo. I can recommend one in particular - a new Parrilla with an old look called Tzolkin lcated at 2088 Calle Jorge L Borgas. The owner is a really nice guy who invited me in while strolling on an afternoon and offered me some meat to sample. It was the best I had ever had and returned later that week for a full dinner.

There's also some good music to be had in Palermo Viejo - El Club de Vino on Calle Cabrera has an interesting and diverse repertoire. On various nights, I saw and heard some Flamenco, Tango and Jazz concerts. They also have an excellent selection of wine and have an in-house wine museum.

In Old Palermo, there's also a club for die-hard Tango afficionados - Club Homero also on Calle Cabrera, and another club/restaurant a block or two east of Club del Vino (also on Cabrera) which specializes in food from the far North of Agrentina (Jujuy). This club has concerts on Friday night of Folk music from the north of Argentina.

I strongly recommend taking advantage of the non-mongering culture that BA has to offer. There's a lot of music and dance to see, all starting around 11pm. These diversions provide a good way to pass the time before the Boliche action gets serious around 1:30 pm and adds another dimension to the BA visit.

All in all, a very positive experience at Hotel Cristoforo Columbo, one that I highly recommend.

Garfield,

The Marriott.....first, like most hotels in BA it is chica friendly. Girls may have to register or leave their id cards at the desk, but there is not a problem with girls.

Second, The Marriott is in an older building that has been nicely restored, though the restoration is old enough that some of the rooms need to be restored again! Bottom line: There are probably nicer hotels for the money in Buenos Aires...eg the Sofitel, the Sheraton Tower, the Four Seasons, the Hilton and the newer part of the Holiday Inn on Carlos Pelligrini.

Third, re: location....the Marriott is located at one end of the Florida pedestrian mall, not far from several chica clubs....Peripilo is across the street and Cutty Sark is about three blocks away on Reconquista. Also, Cafe Orleans is nearby on Cordoba street. There are street girls at Florida and Paraguay street...you will be hit on by chicas trying to entice you to go to a piano bar about half a block from the Marriott. Don't go.

Fourth: How far? A three peso taxi ride to Recoleta...about 2 pesos or a long walk to the clubs on Suipacha (4).....

[quote]Originally posted by Lego Maniac

On my next trip I was hoping to stay somewhere special and am looking for suggestions. Ideally I would like something like a suite you would find at a nice hotel like in Las Vegas. Jacuzzi, spacious, and most important chica friendly. I don't want an upgraded hotel room I want a legitiamte suite. ANybody have any suggestions.[/quote]

Check with mayra@argentinago.com, she knows the hotel scene in Buenos Aires. I (and many other posters here too) always engage her services as a travel agent when I travel there.

-Uncle Otto

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

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

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.....

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

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

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!!

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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

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.

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!

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.