Algodon Mansion

This beautiful townhouse hotel offers ten palatial suites and is one of the most exclusive addresses in Recoleta.

• Uniquely spacious accommodations (the smallest is 500 square feet)
• The feeling of a chic apartment with the benefits of hotel service
• The rooftop pool area, great for a dip during the summer months

If Madonna, Nicole Kidman or Lady Gaga were coming to Buenos Aires to film a remake of “Evita,” they would be sure to stay at the Algodon Mansion. Until the opening of this beautiful townhouse hotel, the most palatial place to stay in the Recoleta area—or all of Buenos Aires for that matter—was a room in the palace section of the Park Hyatt or Four Seasons hotel. Now, however, the more exclusive option is to check in to this ten-suite mansion just around the corner where you will be among a much smaller group of guests and in more private circumstances. The stunning Belle Epoque-style residence was built as a family home in 1912, and its grand classical façade and proportions have been meticulously restored but now a valet in a well-cut suit greets guests outside and ushers them into salons that are sleek and modern. The check-in desk sits in a marble hallway and to its left is an elegant bar with a fireplace flanked by handsome suede club chairs. Next door is the intimate dining room of the restaurant, the Algodon Club, where French/Argentine cuisine is served to a crowd of well-heeled locals as well as hotel guests. Downstairs is a wine cellar, which includes bottles from the Algodon Estates in Mendoza.

The ten guest suites feature sleek contemporary furniture from B&B Italia and Cappellini and all have vast marble bathrooms, including major steam showers, and the latest technology from WiFi and plasma TVs to electronic window shades, iPod docks and Nespresso machines. Some of the larger suites contain separate living rooms and baby grand pianos. To ensure that all guests feel at home, each room comes with an Algodon wine-tasting set and a 24-hour butler who can assist with cars, personalized business cards, reservations, or, in our case, fresh-baked cookies as a late-night snack. Though there are no fitness facilities, guests receive complimentary membership to a large and modern gym a block away. The Algodon does have a spa as well as a small rooftop pool, really large dipping tub, which is surrounded by a teak deck, complete with loungers. Individual suites or the entire mansion can be rented.

Couples or families who want the feel of a private apartment in the heart of Recoleta, plus a very attentive staff.

Those who need the facilities and amenities of a larger resort should look to the Four Seasons, Park Hyatt or Alvear.