With Europe being still so unaffordable for American travelers, Buenos Aires, a city many consider to be more European than anywhere in Europe, is a steal. True the Peso has gone up from where it was a few years ago, but when the price of a steak and a bottle of Malbec is the same price as a burger at TGI Friday’s at home you can’t complain. Here are three places options for resting your head:

Faena Hotel + Universe
Starting Rate: Premium rooms $425 per night; suites $645-$5,000 per night
While the Alvear Palace in Recoleta, with its Louis XV décor that attracts the likes of the King and Queen of Spain, has long been B.A.’s top hotel, Puerto Madero’s Faena that was opened in 2004 by Argentine fashion designer fashion designer Alan Faena hotel with the help of architect Philippe Starck has quickly caught up. Upon entering the thirty foot high ceilings of the lobby you are transplanted into a whimsical world of high fashion. The 106 white guest rooms are draped with red velvet curtains and feature standalone tubs with golden feet, among other amenities like flat screens and Egyptian cotton. White unicorn heads are displayed prominently in their El bistro restaurant and the hotel features a red velvet Cabaret, gourmet market, art gallery cooking classes and part of their health club and spa is a massive hammam. It might seem like schtick, but every major hotel publication has already listed it among the world’s best.

248 Finisterra
Starting Rate: Standard doubles $135 per night
In the fashionable Las Cañitas district, this ten room boutique hotel is an oasis or sorts. It’s not far from the hustle and bustle of restaurants, shops and clubs, yet it doesn’t focus on over the top design like many of the newer trendsetting hotels. It is luxury simplified and could even be called homey. Hardwood floors, large windows and leather and the occasional period furniture define both the lobby and guest rooms. Outside on the roof there’s a small garden with a hard wood deck, Jacuzzi and chaise lounges, while a wine bar and small library make up the amenities inside. Includes breakfast.

Mansion Vitraux: Boutique Hotel, Wine Spa, & Lounge
Starting Rate: Urban doubles $187 per night
Besides being SEO optimized, this wine lounge & spa boutique hotel on a cobblestone street in San Telmo is a good fit for the traveling foodie. The avant garde rooms are 22 square metres and feature 32′ LCD TVs, Wi-fi, stays include breakfast and access to their spa. A terrace with a heated pool and fine view of the Jesuit church of Nuestra Señora de Belén and a restaurant that serves up mix of Argentine, Mexican, and Peruvian dishes are among the highlights.

Nicholas Gill (470 Posts)

Writer and photographer Nicholas Gill is the editor/publisher of New World Review. He lives in Lima, Peru and Brooklyn, New York. His work has appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, CondeNast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, Afar, and Penthouse. Visit his personal website (nicholas-gill.com) for more information.