I found this hotel on Travelocity and booked it based on the positive reviews on TripAdvisor and also because it was noted in Lonely Planet’s Buenos Aires Encounter guidebook as being the
“most unique stay” in Buenos Aires. I stayed two nights from January 24-26, 2008. In total, I stayed a total of 4 nights in Buenos Aires, the first two nights being down the block at the Sheraton Libertador. I had an absolutely terrible sleep at the Esplendor and would not recommend it to anyone. Please do not stay here unless it’s dirt cheap or you don’t care to sleep as it certainly does not meet my number one requirement for a decent hotel – a good night’s rest!

The hotel is located attached to the lovely Galerias Pacifico Shopping Center at the corner of Av. Cordoba and San Martin but it does not have an entrance to the mall. It is situated on a very busy intersection with thousands of vehicles (cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, emergency vehicles, etc.) passing through each day, all of them accelerating, squealing their brakes, honking their horns, or blaring their sirens. Combine that with the fact that the Esplendor is a refurbished hotel in an old building with VERY poor soundproofing and you have the recipe for a completely sleepless night. The large picturesque French doors leaked noise terribly! Picture in your head sleeping on the street in Times Square and you will understand what a night at the Esplendor de Buenos Aires is like. Unlike the Sheraton, there isn’t a driveway in front of the hotel and so there is no place for taxis to wait, pick up, or drop off. Several taxi drivers were not familiar with the hotel’s location so if you do decide to stay here, be sure to know its location and how to say it in Spanish.

Everything started out well. Check-in went smoothly and I even got an upgrade from a concept room ($175) to a large suite ($250). One of the staff brought me to the room and pointed out its amenities, then stood around waiting for a tip. The room itself was large by any standards – easily twice the size of the standard rooms at the Sheraton and double the size of the nearby concept rooms. It had very high ceilings with large French doors allowing in light, the lights were interesting, and the decor was modern. Odd framed artwork (trunks with two sets of legs on either side?) sat on the tables along with a tiny CRT television (which had 70+ channels!). There were two uncomfortable plastic chairs with odd pink coverings and a plastic table in one corner. The air conditioning didn’t cool that well, despite being turned to the coldest temperature (it was 30 degrees Celsius in Buenos Aires while I was there). At the entrance was a large sitting area. The closet had a tiny safe which required one to get a key from the front desk to operate. The mini-bar was well stocked but with enough room for me to put my own water. The bed was firm with a mattress topper. At the foot of the bed was an interesting red bench with funny sequins (be careful – they are sharp). Metal lamps were positioned around the room, but did not provide much light.

The bathroom was clearly designed by some artist who didn’t consider how it would function and who obviously didn’t think about the basics of plumbing. The large, clunky sink had no counter or adjacent cabinets and so there was no room for any toiletries. Included were only soap, shampoo, and conditioner. The shower had neither base nor tub, and one stood literally on an uncomfortable wooden crate to shower. The shower’s tiny drain, underneath the wooden crate, was not the lowest point in the room! That honour belonged to a drain at the opposite side of the room by the toilet! So every time I took a shower, the entire bathroom flooded as the water slowly travelled across the room from shower to drain by the toilet. The soapy water left a residue all over the bathroom every day.

Further, the room was not well cleaned. I found hairs (not mine) on the couch, on the floor, and in the bathroom sink. In addition, the towels were worn so thin with bare threads along the edges that they would have been thrown out of most homes ages ago. I believe they were thin and of poor quality to begin with.

The included breakfast buffet was modest but did have a range of fresh fruit (both whole and cut up), breads, cheeses, yogurt, cold cut meats, and hot items such as scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage. The orange and grapefruit juices were fresh-squeezed and delicious. The staff replenished the items regularly. They did not all speak English.

In summary, I would never stay at this hotel again. Yes, the place is “funky” and the art is neat, but I would recommend staying at the Sheraton Libertador down the block for a good night’s sleep and then going to an Art Gallery to see art.