The Unique Boutique Hotels of Buenos Aires

When it comes to finding suitable lodgings in Buenos Aires, you’re spoilt for choice, from ritzy five-star hotel chains to innumerable boutique establishments. However it’s sometimes hard to distinguish one trendy establishment from the next. For those looking for something a little more out of the ordinary, we’ve picked out some of the most unique boutique hotels in the city, all with a different vibe, story or experience to offer.

The Budget Boutique: Pop Hotel

A room at Pop Hotel.

Pop Hotel pioneers the boutique hotel on a shoestring trend. While it’s the more economical option in the city, it doesn’t forgo on style, comfort or character. As you might guess from the name, there’s a fun retro pop theme going on in the decor with pops of bright colour and lively wall patterns. And the 44 modern rooms are all equipped with plasma TVs, iPod docks and kitchenettes. Outside of your room, you can divide your time between the hotel’s three lounges: the Library lounge, the Business Lounge and the Movies lounge. While the hotel doesn’t serve breakfast, there are vending machines for your express needs and its Villa Crespo location means it’s just a hop, skip and a jump away from a myriad of cafes and restaurants.

Juan Ramirez de Velasco 793
Villa Crespo
+54 11 4776 6900
www.pophotelsbuenosaires.com

The Themed Hotel: Legado Mítico

The library at Legado Mítico.

The concept of a themed hotel is not everyone’s cup of tea, indeed very few people’s cup of tea, but boutique hotel Legado Mítico manages to pull it off in a way that doesn’t make you cringe, while teaching you a thing or two about Argentina’s storied past. The hotel pays homage to famous people in Argentine history and has named and styled each of its 11 hotel rooms after a different key figure in time with photographs, books and other memorabilia. All the usual suspects are present such as ‘La Primera Dama’ Eva Perón, ‘El Idealista’ Ernesto Che Guevara y ‘El Tanguero’ Carlos Gardel, ‘El Escritor’ Jorge Luis Borges and ‘El Gaucho’ Martin Fierro. After a day of sightseeing, you can settle down in the hotel’s well stocked library and bury your head in a cultural book or soak up some sunshine on the pretty terrace and take advantage of the hotel’s well stocked bar.

Gurruchaga 1848
Palermo Soho
+54 11 4833 1300
www.legadomitico.com

The Insider’s Club: Hub Porteño

The vertical garden at Hub Porteño.

Stay at the Hub Porteno and you’ll get the up-to-the-minute inside scoop on what to do in the city thanks to its well connected founder Gonzalo Robredo and his little black book of contacts. The boutique hotel that recently opened in October 2012 is housed in a beautiful old Recoleta town house and goes above and beyond the services expected from a hotel working with a team of local experts to offer unique, tailor-made experiences according to each individual guest’s interests and requests be it tango, food, polo, history or all four. Each of the 11 palatial rooms are beautifully outfitted with antique furniture and hand-crafted pieces from local artisans as well as a Nespresso machine, giant Jacuzzi baths and iPads – this summer the hotel is even launching its very own app. There’s also a stylish roof terrace with vertical garden, cocktail bar and the much-talked-about restaurant Tarquino run by famed Chef Dante Liporace touted for his nouveau Argentine cuisine. Once the hotel staff have got you on the list for some exclusive VIP event in the city, you can call on the 24-hour chauffeur (who’s also a PHD student) to take you there.

Rodriguez Peña 1967
Recoleta
+54 11 3220 6600
www.hubporteno.com

The Secret B&B: Fifth Floor

Stained glass windows at The 5th Floor; photo by Jacinta Young.

We’ll let you into a secret. There’s a new concept on the Buenos Aires closed door scene. First there were closed-door bars and restaurants, then shops and galleries, and now there’s a secret B&B. The 5th Floor, due to open at the end of August 2013, is hidden away on the top two floors of a 1930s Art Deco-style building in the Alto Palermo neighbourhood. The space was initially built as a ‘Petit Hotel’ for the original owner of the building and then owned by a now 90-year-old psychiatrist who lived and worked there with her family of psychiatrists (and still practises today). And now British-born expat Miles Lewis has gutted and renovated the place to create what he describes as a “boutique B&B”, with a little help from interior designer Susan Kennedy and her partner and furniture designer Marcelo Liska, who are also the owners of The Chipper, Palermo Hollywood’s local fish and chip shop. Every statement lighting fixture (a particular favourite of Miles’), chair and other decorative item has been carefully selected to match the Art Deco feel already present in the grandiose marble winding staircase that won awards back in the day and stained glass windows. Miles, who is also training to be a chef, wants to offer a luxury home away from home where guests will be treated to full cooked breakfasts in the morning (real bacon and sausages included) and complimentary happy hour cocktails on the terrace with Miles and his friends in the evening as well as the odd pop up dining event and Argentine asado on the beautiful terrace out back.

(opens end of August 2013)
Address provided on request
+ 54 9 11 2181 8574
the5thfloorba.wordpress.com

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Sophie Lloyd

UK-born Sophie Lloyd first moved to Buenos Aires at the beginning of 2010 out of a desire to learn Spanish and live the Latino lifestyle, having spent the previous five years working as a fashion editor, writer and stylist in Shanghai, China. She quickly adapted to the late nights and copious amounts of Malbec. She works as a freelance writer and copywriter and currently contributes to the Buenos Aires edition of Global Blue's Shop magazine as well as running her own personal shopping and private shopping tour business Shop Hop BA delivering a stress-free, customised shopping experience to visitors to the city.