Boutique Buenos Aires

For anyone who shares my preference for intimate hotels, the 10-suite Algodon Mansion in Buenos Aires’ chic and leafy Recoleta neighborhood—the equivalent of Manhattan’s Upper East Side—is a fine base from which to explore the sprawling Argentine capital, even if the service could use a little fine-tuning.

Housed within a 1912 French classical-style limestone mansion, it was developed by Scott Mathis, chairman and CEO of DPEC Partners, a New York-based real estate investment group, and opened two years ago to rave reviews in the mainstream travel press. (Mathis has also invested in a sister property on a 2,500-acre wine estate in Mendoza.) On our arrival, the bellhop greeted us by name and was thoroughly warm and welcoming. Since there is no real lobby—a single, often busy desk serves as reception—we lingered on a nearby couch for a while, waiting for check-in. After an 11-hour overnight flight, it came as a nasty surprise to be told that our room wouldn’t be ready until 2 p.m. In such a small hotel, it is of course understandable that a room might not be available, but given the predominantly American and European clientele, a day room somewhere would be a welcome amenity.

Fortified by several cups of strong coffee, we decided to visit MALBA, a museum of contemporary art, and asked one of the butlers in the vestibule for directions. The butler service system—friendly, well-dressed young staff members are on constant alert to help with reservations, taxis, sightseeing queries—is a good idea in theory. Regrettably, however, these kids didn’t seem to be very well coached about what was going on in their own city. It was a much longer walk to MALBA than we’d been led to believe and, once there, we discovered that the permanent collection was on loan to a museum in Houston! Similarly, the next day we decided to visit the National Museum of Immigration in the hopes that it would be as fascinating as New York’s Ellis Island museum and would offer insight into the Argentine identity, but arrived to discover that it was closed until further notice. The same butler who had described how to get to the closed museum had also never heard of any of the city’s fashionable new restaurants. So a plea to management: Forget about the butlers and hire a competent concierge.

Fortunately, despite these glitches, we liked our suite so much that we’d return to the hotel without hesitation. Large, quiet and bright, it had a beautifully polished ebony-stained oak floor and a velvet armchair that was perfect for reading. A rosewood armoire contained an espresso-maker as well as the usual minibar. The huge bath, faced with French limestone and Italian Calacatta marble, provided an enormous walk-in shower, a soaking tub, L’Occitane toiletries and piles of fluffy white towels. However, as is regrettably common at new hotels nowadays, many of the simplest room controls were high-tech, so we were obliged to read the in-room information file in order to figure out how to close the curtains!

The Algodon’s Chez Nous restaurant, with burgundy silk-clad walls, a gold-leaf ceiling and woodburning fireplace, is a relaxed and stylish place for dinner. Chef Antonio Soriano’s stated ambition is to reinvent traditional and regional dishes with French-inspired culinary techniques. (Most of the fruit and vegetables, as well as the olive oil, come from Algodon Wine Estates.) We settled for grilled lamb chops with Andean potatoes, and black bass with black-olive gnocchi, both of which were excellent.

Despite the name, Frank’s Cognac Bar serves an extensive selection of classic and house cocktails, as well as an interesting list of Argentinean wines. The bar is also an extremely pleasant venue for a light lunch. Salads and tapas are complemented by flatbread pizzas and Kobe beef burgers, while Frank’s Special Lunch Menu seems to be a hit with the local business community.

Amenities at the hotel include a small spa (with steam, sauna and massage rooms), plus a rooftop plunge pool, Jacuzzi and sun terrace. The latter is a great place to relax after a day of sightseeing and perhaps before hitting the tiles to tango!

Algodon Mansion 94 Recoleta Suite, $480. 1647 Montevideo, Buenos Aires. Tel. (54) 11-3530-7777.

Illustration © Melissa Colson