Every time I go to Buenos Aires, a city dear to my heart, I discover something new. On this recent visit, for example, I delved into the Argentine capital’s rich Jewish culture, vibrant street-art scene and stylish speakeasies. But I also find its classic pleasures irresistible: tango shows, outdoor craft markets, fine food and wine and — not least — grand hotels. Lately, the city has been on an upswing, thanks in part to much-reduced inflation. Buenos Aires is often a necessary stop on an itinerary that includes Mendoza, Salta, Iguazu Falls and/or Patagonia. But my companion and I had no trouble filling a week just in town, eating too much, staying up too late and loving every minute of it.

The historic Alvear Palace Hotel used to be the city’s crown jewel, but a stay in 2024 didn’t thrill me (I preferred its contemporary sister hotel, the Alvear Icon). Recent member reviews have also been mixed. It was time to reassess the other great luxury hotels in town, which have upped their game even as the Alvear Palace lost some of its luster.  

Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires

In a slightly awkward location next to an elevated highway, the 165-room Four Seasons is nevertheless quiet and central, in walking distance to numerous fine restaurants and boutiques in the Retiro and Recoleta neighborhoods. Like its competitor the Park Hyatt (see below), the Four Seasons has two main buildings: a contemporary tower and a century-old former residence. Here, only a handful of expensive suites are in the otherwise inaccessible mansion. For most guests, it serves merely to ornament the nearby outdoor swimming pool and surrounding garden patio that extends out from the sun-drenched full-service spa.

Our driver took us to the modern tower, where bellmen and doormen stood at the ready to assist. The hotel’s reservations team had already offered to upgrade us to a suite from our E-Lounge room, since the exclusive lounge was undergoing renovations. The front desk only improved on that positive first impression by enumerating the Andrew Harper benefits included in our rate and presenting an itinerary of the restaurant reservations made by the concierge. We didn’t receive an escort up to our accommodation, but a valet arrived in short order to bring our luggage and give us a room tour.

I immediately liked our spacious City-View One Bedroom Suite, which encompassed a powder room, a dining table for two, a comfy full living area, a soporific king bed with a leather headboard and, in the bath, a freestanding tub angled toward a TV in the wall. Refreshingly, the bath also had several well-placed hooks and rods for towels and robes, as well as excellent lighting. The view of the highway, port and distant river was not especially romantic, but it did enhance the sense that we occupied a hushed oasis.

Editor Photos (slideshow below)

Throughout our stay, the staff proved both efficient and friendly. A room-service breakfast arrived right on time and with warm and crunchy toast. When I requested a new pot of coffee — the first leaked a bit — a replacement arrived in less than 10 minutes. At the lively polo-themed Pony Line bar, personable bartenders prepared creative cocktails like the Negroni Vigilante, an unusually smooth version that somehow involved Morbier cheese. Behind the lobby in Elena, the skylit main restaurant, we enjoyed the ample breakfast buffet as well as an upscale but unfussy Argentine lunch accompanied by high-quality local wines.

I’ll include a quibble about slippery algae growth on the steps of the heated outdoor pool, but uncharacteristically, I’m having trouble coming up with additional criticisms. The Four Seasons is Buenos Aires’ class act.

Casa Lucia

Just on the other side of the freeway, along the curvaceous Calle Arroyo, are two of Buenos Aires’ most charming blocks. They’re lined by chic shops, exclusive art galleries and cafés and bars with inviting patios. On one somber corner, a memorial marks the former location of the Israeli Embassy, which occupied a 1920s mansion that was destroyed by a car bombing in 1992, killing 29 and injuring more than 200.

Always on the hunt for lesser-known independent hotels, I checked us into the 142-room Casa Lucia. (Shortly after our stay, it signed a management contract with the Meliá Collection.) The property occupies a landmark 20-story skyscraper completed in 1929, and its striking atrium lobby, centered on a fashionable bar, combines neoclassical architecture with contemporary design elements.

Editor Photos (slideshow below)

Le Club Bacan, a cozy cocktail lounge, stands to one side, and the brasserie-style Cantina restaurant is on the other. The latter is a perfectly fine place for breakfast, but neither its atmosphere nor menu encouraged me to make it a stop for dinner.

Things started off well at check-in, with flutes of fine Argentine brut rosé, and our Junior Suite With Balcony made a good first impression: Our lengthy (if unfurnished) terrace provided a memorable skyline view. But the beige carpet looked less than fresh, and the chipped sinks in the bath needed reglazing. The shower stall proved tight even for a slender person, and we received no turndown service. The friendly English-speaking front desk staff didn’t understand the concept of turndown, nor could they provide change for a peso note worth about $10. The next day, housekeeping left our empty water bottles on the table and didn’t replace them.

I liked Casa Lucia’s enviable location in Retiro, the panoramic views from our room and the narrow but eye-catching swimming pool in the cellar. Unfortunately, the service provided by the well-meaning employees doesn’t rise to the luxury level.

Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires

In Recoleta, between the Four Seasons and Alvear Palace, the Park Hyatt spans the length of a block. On Avenida Alvear is the 1930s-era Palacio Duhau, a neoclassical confection with 23 rooms and suites. Downhill on Calle Posadas is a modern building with an additional 142 accommodations, separated from the palace by a sloping garden courtyard. An art-filled underground passage connects the two structures and provides access to the spa and large indoor swimming pool.

Even though we stepped into the simple, airy lobby at around 9 a.m., our room was ready just 10 minutes later. Happily, our Andrew Harper member benefits got us an upgrade at check-in to a suite. As at the Four Seasons, no one escorted us up to it. I appreciated finding our luggage already there when we opened the door, but that also meant we received no room tour.

An orientation would have been especially welcome here, considering how chopped up the Park One Bedroom Suite was. I’ve stayed in lovely spacious-feeling accommodations at this Park Hyatt, but this was not one of them. Despite its 667 square feet, the suite felt cramped because each component was small, notably the spare, sofaless living room and the bath divided by a hallway. The clinically austere wet room was particularly off-putting. Instead of this suite category, book a 1 King Bed With Balcony Deluxe or Park Suite in the tower, or a 1 King Balcony Palace or 1 Bedroom Suite Palace in the mansion.

Editor Photos (slideshow below)

Regardless, a view of the courtyard garden is best, with its various dining terraces and a central lawn bisected by a line of cascading pools. At its highest level is the mansion, much larger than the one at the Four Seasons and with numerous spaces accessible to all guests. Although the breakfast buffet in the contemporary building is abundant, I preferred starting my day à la carte in the tranquil Los Salones del Piano Nobile, an ornately paneled series of rooms in the mansion. We also enjoyed nightcaps down the hall in the atmospheric Oak Bar, surrounded by 17th-century wood paneling from a château in Normandy.

We didn’t have time to try the Park Hyatt’s vegan restaurant, but we did have a lovely last traditional repast at the Duhau Restaurante & Vinoteca, where we split impeccable empanadas and tender center-flank wagyu beef, accompanied by an aromatic Torrontés from Salta and a rich Pinot Noir from Río Negro. I regretted having to leave the next day, but I took heart knowing that it never seems to be long before I’m drawn back to Buenos Aires.