A Hotel

Lovely tranquil Belle Epoque townhouse with a lobby art gallery on a leafy residential street in Buenos Aires' most exclusive neighbourhood

The 1871 yellow fever epidemic drove the wealthy denizens of Buenos Aires north. Today their extravagant marble-facade mansions with wrought-iron balconies give the leafy streets of Recoleta the look of a Paris quartier. With its sprawling parks, broad boulevards, upscale shops, European-style cafés and corner markets, this is the city's most elegant address.

A Hotel (formerly called Art Hotel) is a 1927 townhouse turned European-style boutique hotel just a couple of blocks from shop-til-you-drop Avenida Santa Fe. From its multi-storey lobby - which doubles as an art gallery - take the sweeping marble staircase or 1930s elevator (with 'Viva Perón' scratched into the crystal mirror). Ranging from 'cosy' to canopied romantic, the 35 rooms marry period architectural details (lofty ceilings, arched windows and French doors) with industrial-style minimalism (concrete floors, metal-mesh wardrobes) and all the modern amenities (cable TV, minibars) you need. End each day with a glass of wine in A Café or soaking in the hot tub on the roof terrace.

Highs

• Very good value in exclusive (and expensive) Recoleta
• The historic building drips with period charm; rooms are updated with mod-cons including air-con, free internet, cable TV and minibars
• Enviable residential location, blocks from the city's best shops, restaurants and cultural attractions
• The lobby art gallery hosts monthly exhibitions, and guests can purchase the original drawings, paintings and sculptures on display in the rooms
• Roof terrace with cushioned sun loungers and a small hot tub
• Some adjacent rooms can be connected, forming 'apartments' for families and small groups

Lows

• The smallest rooms have barely enough space to store 2 large suitcases, and most bathrooms are bijou (some have showers only)
• Rooms facing the interior courtyard are dark; a few others have dismal views
• Although staff are on the whole wonderfully friendly, helpful and enthusiastic, it can fluctuate by shift
• The hotel is located in the commercialised, middle-class Barrio Norte rather than Recoleta's most fashionable quarters (although they're within easy walking distance)