I booked my stay at the Sofitel Buenos Aires because it rated #1 at TripAdvisor. I see now that it has dropped to #3, and in my view, should drop even further following my stay there with my husband.

The hotel is beautiful architecturally, with lovely furnishings in the lobby. Our king bed room was comfortable but nothing unusual or luxurious. It had a desk and arm chair, as well as a dresser, which we appreciated since many hotels now only provide closet space.

However, the door to our bathroom was so heavy that it literally required two people to open it. That's not an exaggeration, by the way. The shower was so tiny that anyone trying to wash one's hair must turn off the water to work up the suds.

Internet access was iffy, requiring frequent calls to the front desk, only to be directed to speak to an outside IT service. All that for 50 pesos per day. (Our friends staying at the neighbouring Sheraton had a larger room, and dependable free internet in their room.)

The worst part of our stay at Sofitel was definitely the absence of service despite the large number of staff working there. The small lobby consistently swarmed with staff, including at least 4 front desk agents at all times. Several security people flanked the corridor of the small lobby, and there was a valet outside.

However, they always seemed frazzled or disinterested in doing more than simply answering a question. On one occasion, a friend who was picking me up was running late. She realised that I was waiting downstairs for her, so she was anxious to get a message to me so that I didn't wait needlessly for an hour. She is native Spanish-speaking so there was no issue of miscommunication.

She called the front desk and asked to get a message to me. She added that I was likely near the front desk requesting tickets for a polo match. The front desk agent replied that she couldn't expect him to go around asking people if they were the correct person. She said, yes, indeed she did, especially since she knew I could not be far so it wouldn't be too difficult a task. He refused to do that.

She then asked if there was a paging system for such situations, to which he replied no. He made no attempt to look for me, while I stood there, pacing not more than 10 feet from him for an hour.

I wasn't able to sit comfortably while I waited for an hour because the hotel lobby has only 2 benches at right angles with a poor vantage point to the Sofitel's main entrance. No where outside the hotel is there a place to to sit while awaiting a ride.

Another example of poor service occurred when we sent out a jacket to get pressed one night. By the following night when we needed it, it had not been returned. We had to track it down ourselves, barely getting it in time for our appointment.

When the chambermaid cleaned our room, she moved our toiletries and clothes to places that took us days to find. My husband's and my medications were placed together. A brush was put in a drawer in the bathroom that we didn't know existed until 3 days into our weeklong stay. My husband's bed clothes were folded and placed inside the closet on top of the safe! (What the hell was she doing inside our closet? And who would put clothing on top of a safe on the top shelf?) Meanwhile, other clothes were folded and randomly placed in several different places in our room.

We needed a cab, and asked the valet to get one for us. Instead, he sent us to someone else who presumably had better skills than he did for the job. Passing the buck to someone else seems to be the hallmark of the staff at Sofitel BA.

The service consistently failed to live up to the standards of any 5-star hotel. And it is difficult to understand why, when there are far more people at the front desk than I've seen at any hotel.

I will not stay here again, nor will I recommend it to anyone. Service is what brings people back, and Sofitel BA just doesn't know how to give it. My husband and I travel all over the world, and have stayed at other Sofitels. There is no consistency in service or amenities at this chain.

I've stayed in other hotel chains, some much larger, others just B&Bs, and only for one night where staff greet you warmly, remember your name, ask how your day was, go the extra mile to make things happen. Sofitel did none of the above. They needed to be reminded again and again of our requests for reservations, and for help with the Internet. It is definitely not worth its 5-star rating.

Service impeccable, location clean, nothing but praise. I stayed here for 4 days in August 2007 on a business trip. Things I found exceptional: the entire hotel smells like lemons and flowers (I bought their room fragrance for my house), breakfast buffet had champagne, hotel has a relaxing and elegant ambiance.

Most exceptional was the concierge. I asked where the nearest drug store was located. After telling me, he said he could have what I needed delivered to my room if I wished. I did, and it was in my room within 30 mts. He arranged tickets to a theater event for me, as well as recommending some unforgettable restaurants.

Restaurant was absolutely delicious. I'm not a fan of eating at the hotel, but their restaurant rates among the best in town.

As an avid traveler, I now rate all hotels against my experience at the Sofitel BA. They spoiled me, and made me truly appreciate how a good hotel can amazingly enhance your travel experience.

The hotel is located in a very posh residential area. If you like art galleries you will have at least ten at walking distance. If you like to be in a central location with shops and restaurants nearby I would recommend the Alvear or the Four Seasons.
The staff was very attentive and courteous.
On the negative side, the rooms are very small compared to other five stars in Buenos Aires. The breakfast is not up to the hotel´s standing, and the restaurant Le Sud, which used to be one the best in town now serves average meals.
The room acoustics are bad, I stayed on the seventh floor and one night was raining and it felt like I water was running through my roof.
Overall, the are much more better offerings in town. The Sheraton Park Towers, for example offer butler service, a luxurious breakfast and double sized rooms for a lower rate.

This is a great alternative to the Alvear Palace Hotel, which is just as fine as the Sofitel, but $200 per night more expensive. The bar here is smaller than the Alvear's, but is delightful and is a good place to watch people.