Faena
Located in the neighbourhood of Puerto Madero, a ten minute taxi ride from downtown Buenos Aires, the Faena is a sophisticated hotel which brings together the most refined aspects of art and culture.
The two designers, Philippe Starck and Alan Faena, who is also the owner, have succeeded in creating a stylish and chic hotel where guests can experience fashion, design gastronomy and entertainment. Originally a warehouse, the exterior of the building has been left as it is, yet in no way does this prepare you for the uniquely creative interiors.
There are two restaurants; the formal El Bistro which is entirely decorated in white with unicorn heads adorning the wall, and serving international cuisine - and El Mercado, which is inspired by the European markets and Catinas of Buenos Aires and serves traditional Argentine cuisine.
Each room represents a different period in Argentine history, featuring white décor and linen throughout, with their bathrooms separated by a glass wall. There is a large outdoor pool with a more casual bar and restaurant area, and the hotel also boasts a 'Leading Spa' which is the only one in they city, offering a host of treatments and therapies as well as a hammam.
Why We Love It
The Faena has one of the best tango salons in Buenos Aires where guests can have dinner before watching this passionate and intimate dance only a few feet away.
Alvear Palace
The Alvear Palace is located in the historical Recoleta district of Buenos Aires.
Recoleta is characterised by wide avenues, squares and parks, which are home to many of the city's landmark buildings. The hotel's rooms and suites come with butler service, marble bathrooms and a concession to modernity in the form of wi-fi internet access. A daily basket of fresh fruit and newspapers in Spanish or English are also provided.
Facilities at the Alvear Palace include a gym, an indoor swimming pool and a spa offering saunas, steam baths and a variety of treatments and massages. The hotel has two excellent restaurants: La Bourgogne and L'Orangerie, serving gourmet French and regional cuisine. There is also the Jardin d'Hiver, a large conservatory full of greenery, which serves tea and patisseries, not forgetting a cocktail bar.
Why We Love It
Built in the French architectural style, the hotel has a highly traditional feel, emphasised by its period furnishings.
Candelaria del Monte
Set in 200 acres of Argentine pampas, and dating back to the 1850's, this small family run hotel is an authentic estancia in every sense of the word.
There are just four bedrooms and two suites at Candelaria del Monte, all decked out in the style of a traditional estancia - there are florals aplenty and much of the furniture harks back to the 19th century.
The Goñis family take great pride in their small hotel, particularly when it comes to food. As much as possible is home grown, and their honey is worthy of a notable mention - it is delicious. The restaurant serves mainly Andean cuisine and is served either indoors or out in the gardens.
Activities include riding, gaucho style of course, and wine tasting. At the hotel itself, there is a swimming pool where guests can simply relax and savour the relaxed life of the Pampas.
Why We Love It
Don't leave without trying the Goñis's homemade honey, produced on the estancia.
Legado Mitico
Legado Mitico is a stylish boutique property located in a three-storey townhouse in the fashionable Palermo district of Buenos Aires.
The interiors feature contemporary design and the eleven rooms come in a variety of sizes. Each has its own theme and character based on figures from Argentina's cultural heritage. All rooms are air-conditioned and come with en-suite bathrooms, flat-screen TVs and wi-fi internet access.
On the ground floor is a spacious public area that serves as a combined café, bar and lounge-library. A good breakfast is served, as well as drinks and snacks during the day. There is no proper restaurant, but there are several to choose from just round the corner. The hotel also has an attractive patio with a wooden deck, which provides a quiet spot to relax, and on the roof is a sun deck with a large Jacuzzi. The shops, bars and other attractions of the Palermo district are within easy walking distance.
Why We Love It
All of the rooms are themed around famous Latin Americans ranging from Jorge Luis Borges to Che Guevara.
Mio Buenos Aires
Located in Recoleta - Buenos Aires' answer to Mayfair, yet with bags more history - Mio Buenos Aires is ideally placed for exploring the eclectic capital.
The 30 rooms and suites are big and bold, with a range of materials from marble, oak (from wine barrels), silk and glass combining with splashes of colour. The open plan bathrooms complete the look, with baths made of caldén, a native Argentine wood, placed in front of floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Every room comes with added extras such as a yoga mat and Wi-Fi, and all have balconies overlooking leafy Recoleta. For the best views in town opt for a Terrace Suite which have a Jacuzzi on the balcony.
Mio Lounge serves breakfast and afternoon tea, and in the evening doubles up as a bar. There are numerous restaurants on the hotel's doorstep, as well as further afield in trendy Palermo and San Telmo, the home of Tango.
As well as a terrace bar overlooking the sights of the city, Mio Buenos Aires has a fantastic spa. Adorned in black stone in order to create a relaxing atmosphere - it does work - it offers a range of treatments and has a Jacuzzi and small gym.
Why We Love It
Be sure to pay a visit to the Recoleta Cemetery, the resting place of the infamous Eva Peron.
Nuss Buenos Aires SOHO
Boutique Nuss Hotel is housed in a 1930's convent on a leafy avenue in Palermo Soho, and is very much a part of Buenos Aires' ever-trendy address book.
The 22 bedrooms are all set around a central atrium and have great views over the streets of Palermo. They are a mix of traditional and contemporary - while all being pleasantly understated - and have plasma screen televisions, leather bound desks and funky lamps.
Although there is no restaurant at Nuss Hotel, there is a Deli where pastry chef Inès Maciel whips up a storm at breakfast, and drinks and various light meals are served throughout the day. There are also numerous options around every corner, with Palermo Soho being home to some of Buenos Aires's finest establishments, as well as new and up and coming places where the cosmo locals hang out.
Facilities include a gym and a roof terrace with plunge pool and sun loungers - a great place to watch Palermo in action. There are also plans to build a roof top bar for hotel guests only - watch this space.
Why We Love It
Understated yet chic, Nuss Buenos Aires SOHO keeps up with the expectations of the city's trendiest barrio.
Park Hyatt Buenos Aires
Situated on Avenida Alvear, Buenos Aires' most exclusive residential and shopping district, the Park Hyatt unifies the old and the new by integrating the city's historical past with an innovative modern design.
The Ahin spa is one of the most renowned in Buenos Aires, offering a variety of treatments based on indigenous ancestral knowledge. The Duhau restaurant has a cosy and intimate feel, and leads out onto the garden enabling guests to dine al fresco on the terrace.
Cosmopolitan, culturally rich and architecturally eclectic, Buenos Aires is perhaps the most impressive capital city of South America and certainly the most vibrant. Life here is a melting pot of diversity. The arrival of immigrants over a century ago has left an indelible mark on society, not least in the people and the atmosphere of the various urban districts.
Why We Love It
The hotel boasts its own impressive art gallery with works by Argentinean and Latin American artists.
Sofitel Buenos Aires
The luxurious Sofitel Buenos Aires occupies the landmark Torre Bencich skyscraper, which was built in 1929 and looks like it was uprooted from New York and re planted in Buenos Aires.
Located close to Plaza San MartÃn in the Retiro district, its 20-odd storeys have an elegant Art Deco exterior. The hotel's rooms and suites are decorated to a very high standard and come with satellite TV, wi-fi internet access and good views.
Facilities include an indoor swimming pool, a gym as well as massage rooms. The hotel's main restaurant, 'Sud', serves refined French Mediterranean cuisine and is regarded as one of the best in the city. There is also a library-bar and a versatile café that serves coffee, croissants and light snacks by day and cocktails in the evening. As for sightseeing, Sofitel's downtown location means it is within walking distance to a vast array of Buenos Aires' main attractions.
Why We Love It
The Torre Bencich, home to the Sofitel, was Buenos Aires first skyscraper and has cracking views of the city.
Estancia la Bamba de Areco
In the heart of the Pampas, this colonial style building is full of character and encompasses all the traditions of the gaucho. In the style of a country ranch, Estancia la Bamba de Areco, is a charming ‘must see' spot in the Pampas.
There are just 11 rooms decked out with colonial furniture, local artwork, textiles and dark wooden fittings. All the rooms have king size beds with Egyptian bed linen, impressive views of the pampas, terraces or the polo fields.
The food, comprised of traditional Andean fare, is delicious, with the emphasis not surprisingly on world renowned steaks and meats. After suppers guests can relax in the Pulperia, the oldest building in the hotel, where they can enjoy a glass of wine whilst the gauchos play and sing folklore tunes and songs.
Beauty treatments, hot stone massages, gaucho skills demonstrations and polo lessons add to the experience of staying in this original, unique estancia.
Why We Love It
The Estancia is named after the Celtic word 'Bahamba', which means 'place of rest and hospitality', which pretty much sums it up.
Home Hotel
The very English Tom Rixon and his not quite so Argentinian sounding wife Patricia O'Shea conceived the Home Hotel back in 2005 as the first proper boutique hotel in Buenos Aires. While many pretenders have since emerged, this remains one of the very best boutique places to stay in the Argentinian capital.
A melange of minimalist, modern and modish - think llama wool blankets, crisp linens and 40s throwback vintage wallpaper - Home Hotel has 18 rooms in total, including three suites and two loft apartments, all intended to feel like homes away from home. The so-called Other Loft even takes this to its logical conclusion with its own separate entrance from the hotel proper.
The heart of Home Hotel is the Bar & Restaurant where head chef Veronica Yarte cooks up a seasonal storm of classic dishes accompanied by some of the finest (of the very fine) Argentinian wines, with the Bar boasting an excellent range of signature cocktails. In summer, guests can eat al fresco on the decked terrace in the garden.
Also in the garden is the pool, surrounded by deckchairs, where it's quite possible to while away a weekend, cocktail in hand, as hummingbirds dart around the jasmine flowers. For even more indulgence, wander into the spa for facials and massages.
Why We Love It
The Home Hotel brunch, served at weekends only, constitutes one of the great hangover cures. For an Anglo-Argentinian love-in try the excellent huevos rancheros and a full English.
