We stayed for four nights from February 15 to 19, 2012 in a Queen Bed Deluxe Room at the Hilton Buenos Aires. We used 2 free-night certificates from a great promotion that Hilton offered in 2011, plus we remitted 34,000 points per night for an additional 2 nights. (The AAA rate on our room was US$218 if we were paying.) Despite being Diamond members, there were no upgraded rooms available for us, although the front desk clerk informed us that there really was not any difference between the regular and executive rooms in size or decor except for the location of the rooms, which were on the top two floors of the hotel nearest the executive lounge. The hotel has a good location in Puerto Madero next to the river, which features a waterfront promenade filled with many different kinds of restaurants, bars, and mini-markets, in addition to the ferry terminal at one end and the casino at the other end.
The hotel has a better-than-average gym, a steam room, sauna, and a two-tiered roof terrace with a small pool. The pool/bar service is very slow and indifferent; no one came to ask if we wanted a drink in the 3 hours that we spent outdoors on the lower deck, and there was lots of trash and plastic cups blowing around in the wind because no one cleaned up. (Oddly, we saw at least three lifeguards/attendants every day when we was there, but it did not seem like they were doing much work.) There are a good number of lounge chairs, several table/chair sets where you could eat a meal, and a few of those modern papasan chairs and canopy beds, although nearly all were full on the afternoon that we spent there. There are no true pool towels - guests are given two smallish bath towels to use instead, which seemed a little cheap to us. We had heard that the hotel sells passes to local residents for the gym and pool, and the pool deck was filled with local Porteños enjoying a sunny Saturday afternoon. It seems that also included with these passes is access to the executive lounge, which meant badly-behaved youngsters running through the lounge, sticking dirty fingers in the food, and cleaning out the small refrigerators of any type of carbonated beverage. They also overtook the billiards table, throwing the pool balls all over, including at the glass enclosure separating the table from the main part of the lounge; that was not merely annoying, it was dangerous! The staff in the lounge were nice, but they seemed resigned to the behavior of these children, probably because it happens often, or possibly because they themselves have been reprimanded for correcting the children.
The hotel is modern, with an open atrium around which nine floors of rooms are arranged. There are several elevators, so the wait was never long. The hotel seems to host many conferences and meetings because of the large, dedicated space for functions. The business center is located in this function annex, but when we tried to use it to print off our boarding passes, it was un-staffed and the computers seemed to require a password which we did not know. There is an ATM right in the lobby near the gift shop, and taxis were almost always lined up outside the hotelm, with a doorman present to hail one for you. The hotel has a coffee/pastry bar, a wine bar/restaurant, and another restaurant that serves buffet meals.
The executive lounge was a nice size, with some table seating, lounge seating, a sofa facing a flat-screen TV, a billiards area, and several computers. There is another semi-outdoor living area separated by retractable glass walls/doors that faces the pool deck, part of which is outdoors (if you smoke), with steps leading down to the pool area (smoking is also permitted around the pool). The lounge opens a bit late on weekends - we tried to go at approximately 8:00 on Sunday morning and it was not yet open (although the tables were clearly set in anticipation of the opening). The lounge provides breakfast (mostly cold items, but also with one or two hot components) and an evening cocktail hour from 18:00 to 20:00, featuring hot and cold snacks and complimentary drinks (wine, beer, champagne, mixed drinks).
Our Queen Bed Deluxe Room was a nice size, with the queen bed, of course, a desk and chair, a table and two chairs (but sadly, no lounge chair/ottoman), and a bar area containing a mini-bar (but not a wet bar because it had no sink). We had trouble working the TV; perhaps better written instructions could be provided. The walk-in closet was large, as was the bathroom, with separate cubicles for the toilet and bidet and the large shower. A separate bathtub and one sink (not a dual vanity) completed the room. Basic toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion were provided. We read some previous guest reviews that said no slippers or bathrobes were supplied, but that was not true in our case, although the items were delivered to us after check-in rather than being immediately available in our room. There were even different men’s and women’s slippers provided for each of us. We were supposed to receive two complimentary bottles of water, but they never arrived, and days later when we called down to the front desk, we were told to take two local waters from the mini-bar (for which, as promised, we were not charged). The air-conditioning worked amazingly well, and although the rooms at this hotel do not feature balconies, they do have windows that open a bit. Our room overlooked a courtyard area and some nearby restaurants; rooms on the opposite side overlooked the street. Nearby restaurants include Bull/Havana, Pizza Madero, Cabaña las Lilas, and Carletto, among many, many others. The hotel is located near the Puenta de la Mujer, a pedestrian suspension bridge whose shape supposedly represents the shape of a woman bending backwards. Wi-Fi is free for Hilton HHonors gold and diamond members.
Overall, we liked this hotel and the area in which it is located. The property was well-maintained, and the staff and service were good; however, it is a modern building and neighborhood, and lacks some of the personality of the older, more charming parts of the city. If we were able to stay again for free using award nights, we would not hesitate to stay here, but if we were paying, we might try a more historic area such as Recoleta at a hotel like the Park Hyatt Palacio Duhau, the Four Seasons, or the Alvear Palace. (Of course, those hotels generally come with a really high price tag!)
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