The Jetpacker

Buenos Aires is like the South American version of New York City — it’s loud, it’s congested, and it’s been called “the city that never sleeps.”  We, on the other hand, value sleep as if it were a commodity facing extinction.  So we wanted to stay in a hotel that was quiet and comfortable yet still connected to the city.  That’s why we chose Moreno 376.

Moreno 376 is a 4-star boutique hotel located in the heart of San Telmo, a safe and historic district packed with important buildings, designer stores and more antique shops than your grandmom could ever jitterbug her way into.  This centrally-located hotel is only 2 blocks from the most important destination in Buenos Aires, Plaza de Mayo.  It’s very close to metro stations, banks offering fair exchange rates, and there’s even a small, affordable market right around the corner.

The Art Deco hotel building, constructed in 1928, was the former home to a publishing company.  Now it contains 39 rooms spread over 6 floors.  The stairwells still harbor the building’s original stained-glass windows depicting scenes of things such as industry and agriculture.

The lobby has golden-rod banisters, and the sea-foam green tile walls and checked floor in the long hallway entrance serve as a portal to another time.

If that isn’t enough to transport you to the past, perhaps the classic wrought-iron elevator will do the trick.

Our room on the top floor, despite being the smallest and least-expensive room Moreno offered, was the equivalent of a loft, with tons of space and a ceiling so high we could’ve played a game of basketball (the dark hardwood floors would lend itself to that too).

The room was designed with a minimalist approach (white walls, white drapes, no paintings), but included some dramatic flair (a red chair, a red light-up closet, and track lighting with a dimmer switch).  There was also a small wet bar and refrigerator in the room.

The king size bed was really two beds pressed together, but we didn’t notice a gap.  The linens were bright, clean and comfortable, and the four pillows were thick and fluffy.  The down comforter was great as well.

Hanging from the wall was a small LCD flat-screen TV with over 60 channels featuring a handful of English-language stations (though all they seemed to play were episodes of “Family Guy” or early ’90s horror movies).

The bathroom wasn’t as spacious as the room, but it did include a bidet.  Now, in the past, we’ve complained about British-style showers and their head-scratching absence of a shower door, or at the very least a shower curtain.  Even though this shower lacked a decent-sized partition that would have prevented water from spraying everywhere, its awesome design made up for it.

Instead of standing in a slippery bathtub, the shower floor was covered with wooden planks that provided stability and a faint woody smell.  The powerful shower head was a depressing reminder that we have a water shortage back home in California and, thus, really weak streams of water.  Unfortunately, the hot water supply at the hotel doesn’t last long, so we were lucky to get through two 10-minute showers each morning.

There’s a rooftop terrace with views of the nearby churches, a 24-hour gym and an exterior Jacuzzi.  The hotel also has a pricy restaurant serving creative foods (that means things with foam and unheard of spices) and over 300 wines, as well as a 130-seat theater for live musical performances and tango shows.  A free continental breakfast is served in the restaurant and complimentary Wi-Fi is available anywhere in the hotel (though the signal frequently dropped out during busy times in the early evening).

One last great thing about Moreno 376: the name of the hotel is also the address, making it easy for taxis to locate.

Despite the desirable exchange rate, hotels in Buenos Aires can be quite expensive.  We found Moreno 376 to be one of the few boutique hotels that offers 4-star accommodation at a 2-star price — our rooms was about $70 a night, including breakfast and Wi-Fi.