Vain Boutique Hotel

Fresh-faced boutique bolthole in Palermo Soho, a few blocks from Buenos Aires’ hippest shopping streets, with a pretty terrace hideout

This smart young boutique hotel – with just 15 rooms – boasts a great location. It's just a few blocks from the city’s hottest fashion boutiques in Palermo Soho, and minutes from Plaza Italia, a noisy but useful transport hub, and the green expanses of the Palermo parks, including the lovely Botanical Gardens and the Rose Garden.

With highly personalised service, sleek design features and zesty colour accents, Vain looks and feels every inch the small, cool Palermo hotel. After the economic crisis of 2001, the cobbled streets of Palermo Viejo (old Palermo) became the focus of the city’s flowering design scene, with artists and designers opening studios and bijou boutiques in what was then a quiet residential neighbourhood. Inevitably, a bevy of hip bars, restaurants and hotels soon followed suit, and Vain – a beautifully refashioned 1920 townhouse, with smart modern interior design and a gorgeous old façade – is a lively exponent of Old Palermo’s new energy.

Highs

• Very chic design, from the antique armchairs to cool circular sinks
• Decadent details: welcome drink voucher, fresh flowers, turn-down chocolates, huge bowls of bath salts (in some rooms)
• Staff are friendly, professional and super-quick, without being fussy
• Gorgeous public areas include the streetside breakfast bar, and a comfy upstairs lounge opening onto a terrace with loungers, perfect for an aperitif
• In a city of undewhelming breakfasts, Vain excels
• We repeat: location, location, location - close to good shopping, Plaza Italia and the Palermo parks

Lows

• The rooms aren’t the biggest (only the top rooms have queensize beds, the rest are doubles)
• Aesthetics trump function in places – the open wardrobe, say, or the sleek sinks
• Bathrooms in general are slightly cramped, and not all have baths; if this is important to you, mention this when booking
• Not all rooms have a window with a view; some face the hallway (which can limit privacy) or an internal patio (noise can be an issue). We advise booking a suite if you can