ARRIVAL

By the time that I had caught a cab from the airport, having arrived on the United flight from Houston, it was mid-morning and I was slightly concerned that my room might not be ready. The check-in desk is to the left as you enter the lobby and once I was seen by the agent, he took my information and checked my reservation. Noting that I had booked a Club Intercontinental room he escorted me to the lift and indicated that I should check-in there.

The agent in the lounge greeted me as soon as I got out of the lift and welcomed me to the hotel.

The agent confirmed that they had upgraded me as an Ambassador member, which is was very kind as I was staying on the Ambassador buy-one-get-one free rate.

The breakfast service was just coming to an end and so I had a coffee and juice before going one floor down to my room.

The agent provided me with a voucher to use for the internet.

ROOM 1616

The room had a sofa, two easy chairs and the bed in the main part of the room.

The large bed enabled you to watch TV from there or from the main part of the room.

The desk, facing out of the window, was near the large windows. A central unit provided the mini-bar, coffee machine and TV console.

The view from the window of the roof tops of Buenos Aires:

The sofa was very comfortable, and the desk was at a good height to work from. The internet however was awful – slow and unreliable. I put this down to being in a country going through economic woes.

The hotel provided water and fruit as an Ambassador which were delivered to my room soon after my arrival.

BATHROOM

The large bathroom, separate shower and toilet were located at the side of of the room.

There were plenty of large towels supplied as well as bathrobes. A lot of hanging space was located in the wardrobes between the toilet and main bathroom. The toiletries were updated daily as they were used.

CLUB INTERCONTINENTAL

I have stayed at this property a couple of times in the past and the lounge is one of its strongest points. At check-in I was offered breakfast either in the lounge or in the restaurant each day and selected to have one morning in each. However, after a short day out sightseeing, I decided to try the evening service.

There were a wide range of items both hot and cold, free wine and spirits and a good range of soft drinks. Never busy it did feel like a haven from the busy city below. This was the evening selection:

 

The room is well laid out, in two separate sections, one with and one without a television.

 

The lounge was on the opposite side of the hotel from my room and so had a different view:

Breakfast Service

A fairly typical lounge offering of cereals, youghurts, cold cheese and meat, toast, rolls, juices and coffee were all offered. In addition, there was a hot baked egg dish.

The second morning I went to the restaurant which was offering a fairly limited buffet, with similar items as above, but additional egg, sausage and potatoe items:

Honestly, the atmosphere was nicer in the lounge and so I was happy to stick there for future visits.

LOBBY

After breakfast I went to explore the ornate lobby. Beautifully decorated it was a feast for the eyes. This is the staircase from the restaurant to Reception.

 

LOCAL AREA

The hotel is close to the Av 9 de Julio which has a number of major buildings along its length. In addition, many bus routes run along the centre. I enjoyed a Sunday stroll in a large loop taking in a number of sights.

The Plaza de la Republica:

A short walk, past the local McDonalds,

led me to the Plaza de Mayo, with the Cabildo, the Catedral Metropolitana and the Casa Rosado

I love walking the streets of Buenos Aires as there are so many interesting buildings. The wonderful Argentine interpretation of Spanish architecture. These are some samples:

Overall the hotel was great, in a good location and real service offered by the team. I would come back again if in the city. The negative is the internet I am afraid which caused real problems trying to work whilst there.

I moved to the Park Hyatt on the third day of my visit, more about that tomorrow.