Claridge Hotel - Buenos Aires, Argentina 

We spent a long weekend in Buenos Aires and wanted to stay reasonably close to the Porto Madeira neighborhood. We saw the Claridge hotel rated well for the price by various sites and were not disappointed. The location is fairly central, not far from Porto Madeira and very walkable to the Recoleta, Plaza de Mayo, etc. The neighborhood itself is kind of non-descript, though there are some decent restaurants in the area. Across the street is a mall type shopping complex which specializes in computer hardware and electronics shops. Check-in and service in general was very good. I'd say, one of the better places I've stayed in BA in terms of service, at any price (my experience runs about 4 different hotels, mostly in price ranges above this one). The hotel is in decent condition, though not excellent. It's obvious that much of it was renovated within the last 5 years, but BA air being what it is (i.e., polluted), things can get worn looking pretty quickly. The entrance and lobby do well in terms of giving the hotel a European / English feeling, and are very nice, actually, for this price range. Off the right side of the lobby is the bar / restaurant area, which is in an unusual style ... sort of half pub with stained glass windows, etc. and half "English Hunting Lodge" or something close to that. It's dark with wood paneling and has one or two animal heads hung on the wall ... different. Our rate included daily breakfast which was served in the restaurant area. The spread was great and had pretty much any breakfast food you could want, within reason. The breakfast buffet included fruit, dairy, breads, hot items (e.g., eggs and bacon), various beverages, etc. The room was nice and well appointed. There were some dark areas near the heating / a/c vents, but otherwise the room was in good condition and clean. Sheets and beds were good. Bathroom was a good size and included an adult sized bathtub (not like the bathtubs you find in many American hotels that are deep enough to get your feet wet, maybe). Included were the soap, shampoo, etc. that you expect in a hotel of this type (i.e., fairly nice, but not luxurious). I can't comment on room service as we didn't try it. However, the pool and associated service was great. I hung out by the outdoor pool a day and had lunch, etc. there. Was very nice. The pool is a decent size, which is suprising considering this is in the middle of BA. It's like a little oasis in the city. Overall, I strongly recommend this hotel for people looking for a reasonably priced British-style hotel with good service in Buenos Aires. The pool, breakfast, and location will keep me coming back, I think.

After a few nights at very disappointing hotels the Claridge Hotel was a welcome respite. We stayed there for 10 days and had absolutely no complaints. Service was impeccable, the Concierge (Pablo) is both knowledgeable and friendly, housekeeping was spectacular, restaurant and bar service extremely friendly, professional and more than competent. We would stay there again without hesitation. Location is awesome as well.