Buenos Aires is on the bucket list for so many people. Vibrant, colourful, flamboyant. A city bursting with life. And one that certainly knows how to throw a party. As demonstrated to the world when Argentina took home the world cup in December. In this Destination Guide to Buenos Aires we’re turn our focus to la Reina del Plata “The Queen of the [River] Silver,” Argentina’s capital city. A place that’s almost unrivalled in terms of venues and vistas combining classical Belle Epoque architecture, grand leafy avenues, café culture and luckily for us, first-class event facilities.
It is the passion and spirit of Buenos Aires that sets it apart. A cosmopolitan melting pot of energy, lust of life, nostalgia, and ambition – art, tango, fashion, culture – Buenos Aires has it all. In real life it is so much more intriguing than the outdated “Paris of South America” cliché.
Show your clients and colleagues an immersive, authentic Argentine experience. And discover the top sights and best Buenos Aires venues, with TLC’s destination guide to Buenos Aires.
BEST AIRLINE – BRITISH AIRWAYS
Firstly, if you’re flying direct, and let’s face it, who wouldn’t prefer the direct route, then it has to be British Airways. You’ll need a connecting flight or transportation to London Heathrow, however, as all direct flights from BA leave from there. With British Airways you know what to expect. The business and first-class options are excellent. As are the lounges. Outstanding service and comfort all the way.
BEST HOTEL – PALACIO DUHAU PARK HYATT
The best hotel is always a difficult choice, but on this occasion even more so. There really are so many excellent properties.
A boutique hotel with a showbusiness connection came close to our selection as the best hotel in Buenos Aires. According to the Telegraph, Be Jardín Escondido, ‘the former home-cum-production headquarters of the family of American film director Francis Ford Coppola is one of Palermo’s most alluring small hotels.’
However, it’s difficult to compare this to the sheer scale and luxury of Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires. Crystal chandeliers, marble floors, gilded doors. From the moment you enter you are transported to the glamour and sophistication of 1930s Buenos Aires. A stay here will cater for your every whim, yet somehow the hotel retains its air of unpretentiousness.
BEST VENUE FOR A CORPORATE EVENT – ALVEAR PALACE HOTEL
In the alluring Alvear Palace Hotel, ten versatile event rooms will cater for events of all shapes and sizes. Up to three hundred banquet style. These include those decorated with French elegance as inspiration, regency ballrooms, and discreet meeting rooms, Several the event spaces are also interconnecting to allow for even more versatility.
The venue itself is steeped in history, having first been built in the 1930s to accommodate the huge influx of tourists to Buenos Aires at that time. It is eleven stories with five basement levels and stands resplendent on the landscape as an undisputed ‘symbol of the city.’
The hotel is geared well towards commercial clientele, with a fully equipped business centre furnished with the latest in technology to satisfy the needs of every business-minded guest. The rooms are elegantly furnished with the majority including a work desk, so that work or play, every guest will get the most out of their stay.
BEST ROOFTOP BAR – DOME ROOFTOP BAR
This Destination Guide to Buenos Aires covers venues from underground, to skyline. Offering a bird’s eye view of the world famous ‘domes’ of Buenos Aires, it’s hard to find a better positioned rooftop bar than Dome. The vibe is one of a sophisticated lounge bar, cocktails and tapas style plates provide refreshment while the view speaks for itself. The bar sits atop the tango themed Tango De Mayo Hotel. If you’re looking for spectacular views of the city to be enjoyed in splendid surroundings, then this is the rooftop bar for you.
BEST SPOT TO WOW A CLIENT – FAENA HOTEL
A live show or dinner in theatrical surroundings at Faena Hotel certainly provides the wow factor. Colourful, exciting, eclectic. It is bursting with passion and personality. The two mainstays of Argentinian culture. The extravagant interior design adds to an experience that will be remembered for years to come, as described by Architectural Digest:
“From the Library Lounge, with its tufted leather sofas and crystal candelabras to the white-and-red Bistro Sur, with unicorn heads adorning the walls, the hotel’s restaurants and bars take theatrical design to new heights.”
Deciding between the hotel’s uniquely curated restaurants may be your biggest problem, here is an overview of the best.
El Mercado blends the energy of Buenos Aires’ legendary cantinas with the charm of Europe’s open-air markets. The vintage/baroque styling transports you to a bygone era, while creating a warm, intimate space where you can enjoy the best of Argentinian cuisine. Take advantage of a welcoming al fresco space in the warmer months.
A lively evening can be enjoyed at El Cabaret which wows on entry with its red velvet and gold trim décor. El Cabaret is an intimate venue inspired by the city’s 1920’s tango clubs. Enjoy a contemporary Argentinean meal, fine wine and craft cocktails while relishing a mesmerizing performance of Argentina’s most celebrated tango show—Rojo Tango.
Italpast – another unique and fantastical setting, an all-white backdrop with unicorn heads adorning the walls, now plays home to a ‘pop up’ collaboration from favoured gastronomic artist, chef Pedro Picciau. Enjoy signature dishes and traditional flavours of Italian-Sardinian haute cuisine.
https://www.faena.com/buenos-aires/dining
BEST RESTAURANT FOR A BUSINESS DINNER – CHILA
A refined and value-driven ambassador of Argentine gastronomy looks out over the water of the Port of Buenos Aires. Chila, is the ever-evolving Michelin starred restaurant of Andrés Porcel. Chef Pedro Bargero leads the charge of perpetual innovation in the kitchen. The tasting and vegetarian menus change each month, with traceability being the main priority in the selection of the best, local, fresh ingredients. An onsite research lab honours Chila’s commitment to sustainability and the team is collectively working on a project to rethink what society considers as waste from the hospitality industry.
A HIDDEN GEM – THE VARNISH
Our Destination Guide to Buenos Aires includes a real hidden gem; literally! Hidden in every sense of the world. An ancient maze underneath the city. A 200-year-old mansion situated above a series of underground tunnels that date back to the Buenos Aires’s earliest settlements, El Zanjón de Granados Tango De Mayo Hotel is now a museum that offers one-hour tours to visitors.
Displays in the museum are varied and include an old, underground slave cell and photographs of the area that date back to the 19th century. Some parts of the structure, including a wall comprised of seashell mortaring, date back even further.
Related Topic: Try visiting the culture capital of Europe; Paris
WHAT INTERESTING FACT WOULD YOU TELL A CLIENT?
Well that really depends on the client as there are many interesting ‘did you know’ facts about Argentina’s capital city.
If your client has an open mind, you could tell them all about the fact that the famed Argentine tango actually originated in the mid-nineteenth century brothels that surrounded Buenos Aires. The dance form originally dramatized the relationship between a prostitute and her pimp and was considered offensive until the early 1900s.
For those with fainter hearts or literary lovers you could also inform your client that Buenos Aires has the most bookshops per capita in the world with 20.1 bookshop per 100,000 residents. More than double that of New York.
Finally, there is a famous book shop too, El Ateneo Grand Splendid often described as the most beautiful bookshop in the world.