Where to Stay in Buenos Aires for a Local Experience

In business-central downtown, but close to sights, shops and bars in Recoleta and San Telmo, this affordable hotel is a real city slicker. A striking black, white and gold reception leads to bold lounges with bright stylish furniture; white rooms have pops of contemporary art, Anglepoise lamps and black-tiled bathrooms; and a mellow skybar buzzes with locals sipping whisky-and-pear cocktails. Don’t miss dinner at the popular Boca de Toro bistro, with its floral upholstered chairs, glowing fringed lamps and flavour-packed Latin American tapas.

Palermo Soho is a riot of hip late-night bars, indie shops and tucked-away restaurants, connected by pretty tree-lined streets – and this creamy townhouse, with its swirling wrought-iron balconies, channels the best of it. Polished wooden floors and cushioned chaises add glamour to bright, no-frills rooms, and a wooden deck and open-fronted lounge are a boon in the city’s sizzling summers. Reserve a post-sightseeing slot at the alfresco hot tub on the deck.

Built in the ornate style of a European grand dame, Alvear Palace underlines why Buenos Aires draws comparisons with Paris and Madrid. Its rooms are refreshingly modern, with touches of gilded rococo and jacquard fabrics to keep things luxurious. A generous spa, sushi bar and fashionable rooftop draw the jet set. Smart Recoleta is where an older, moneyed crowd lives, with sights including the story-packed Recoleta Cemetery and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes.

Based in buzzy Palermo and boasting one of the loveliest hotel gardens in town, Fierro is built for bliss – think local wines in your minibar, generous balconies overlooking the garden’s tropical foliage and a hip, local-produce-focused restaurant, Uco. Quality is everything here, from the proper, strong espresso at breakfast to a sauna and honesty bar sexing up the rooftop pool terrace, and homemade ice cream to cool you off after a day exploring.

Back in well-heeled, wide-avenued Recoleta, Esplendor is set in a grand, historic mansion building, with the polished interiors and mod-cons to match. This isn’t a luxury stand-out in the style of the Alvear Palace – on the contrary, its room rates are an absolute steal – but you’re incredibly well-placed for sightseeing. With switched-on staff, locally-inspired art and contemporary design flourishes in rooms, this is a smart, functional base for a short dip into the city.

This chic design hotel channels the curvaceous edges, glossy surfaces and earthy colour palette of the Sixties, throwing in a light-flooded indoor swimming pool and wood-panelled cocktail bar for good measure. Rëd restaurant and patisserie gives you access to an impressive wine collection; whirlpool tubs and interior-mag-worthy lounges add glamour to its suites. Its Punto Madero location is slightly out on the fringes, but you’re close enough to San Telmo for impromptu drinks or a tango show.

Set in the former Buenos Aires home of film director Francis Ford Coppola, this high-end hideaway has been lovingly furnished – one-off antiques, expensive dark-wood furniture, potted cacti and vintage trunks – in a way that feels both sumptuous and homey. Touches of cowhide and Navajo-style woven fabrics give a nod to Argentina’s estancias (cowboy estates). Coppola still stays here when he’s in Argentina, so look out for him on the vine-draped patio.