Bedding down in Buenos Aires

By Poppy Wilkinson

four seasons buenos aires

From sleeping in a palace to tucking in at a ranch, here are three great sleeps in Buenos Aires.

Four Seasons Buenos Aires

Madonna and I have something in common: we've both lorded it up at the Four Seasons in Buenos Aires. The hotel's 13-storey tower, with its neutral palette and views of the posh La Recoleta neighbourhood, offers sleek, modern accommodations for the discerning traveller. But like the Material Girl, I opt for a suite in the hotel's adjacent mansion (reopening in September).

Dating back to the belle époque, the mansion is split into seven antique-laden suites. My presidential digs are (almost) embarrassingly sprawling. I could have hosted eight guests at the mahogany dining table or had a cocktail party on the half-moon balcony overlooking the outdoor pool. In the master bedroom, the opulence continues with a lush damask headboard, a matching chaise longue and a bathroom fitted with wall-to-wall marble imported from Italy. Like a prayer, indeed.

Park Hyatt Buenos Aires

The Palacio Duhau-Park Hyatt, another converted palatial home in fashionable La Recoleta, surprises me with how airy and modern it feels. The hotel has kept the restored oak floors, the winding marble staircase and the wall panelling, but chic touches like low-rise white leather sofas and cutting-edge floor lamps make the property a favourite of well-heeled hipsters.

My room in the 17-floor tower upholds the crisp, modern aesthetic (think Bang & Olufsen TVs, rain showers and blinds that automatically open with a touch of a bedside button), whereas suites in the palace evoke the theme of uncluttered grandeur, complete with chandeliers and soaker tubs.

I wander the underground passage that connects the two buildings and am delighted to discover that it doubles as a striking fine-art gallery. Then, coming up into the sunlight, I find the garden originally landscaped by Carlos Thays, who also did the Buenos Aires' Botanical Gardens.

Whether you’re in the palace or the tower, drop into the hotel's Duhau Restaurant & Vinoteca, which features artisanal regional cheeses hand-picked by the Maître Fromager and fine bottles of malbec. (Check out the glass-walled cheese chamber on your way in.) When I order room service in an attempt to get a grilled cheese, a plate of fresh goat’s cheese arrives instead; it's some of the best chèvre I’ve ever had.

El Ombú de Areco

Just over an hour from the bustle of the city, the bucolic El Ombú de Areco estancia is a late-colonial-style mansion and a working ranch. Upon arrival, I am immediately offered a drink and a piping-hot empanada. Pretensions checked at the gate, I choose a seat on a breezy wraparound veranda with intricately tiled floors.

Tables with white tablecloths are set up on the lawn for lunch in the shade of the majestic 100-year-old Ombu "tree" (which is, in fact, not a tree but a massive plant). The ranch was built in 1880 in San Antonio de Areco, the heartland of the gaucho (which can be loosely translated as the South American cowboy). We have a barbecue lunch prepared in the traditional way over an open fire, while beautiful brown horses sleep standing in the sun not far away.

Day trips are possible at the estancia, but for overnights, the nine suites capture the casual but hospitable vibe, with period furniture, ensuite bathrooms and in-room fireplaces constantly stacked with logs. There's also a swimming pool, where parrots chirp overhead; the scent of roses and lime trees is in the air… and refreshments (read endless empanadas) are always on offer.

(Poppy Wilkinson is editor-in-chief of onAir. She wrote about Montreal in the February issue.)

Getting There

We have Canada's only scheduled service to Buenos Aires. Find your flight. And take advantage of our great deals on hotels and car rentals.

Back to top