I stayed 2 nights at the Sheraton Libertador from January 20-22, 2008. I feel that I must have stayed at a different hotel than all those negative reviewers because my experience was really superb.
The hotel is conveniently located in Microcentro on Av. Cordoba at Av. Maipu, just one block away from pedestrianized Florida St. and the upscale mall Galerias Pacifico (go to the mall website and print out the free coffee coupon for tourists). From EZE (International airport), it’s a 30-minute ride. I took the official remise (unmetered taxi) from the airport which cost 78 pesos ($25). You can pay in either pesos or USD at the booth inside the airport, and someone will direct you to your taxi (and expect a tip for doing so!). The airport authority does not recommend that you take unofficial taxis (black and yellow “Radiotaxis”). I took Radiotaxis all over the city and I never had an issue, and the locals seem to take them into the city from the airport; however, I have heard that they are prone to take you in circles to bring up the meter or to refuse to use the meter altogether. The domestic airport, AEP (Aeroparque Jorge Newberry, or just Aeroparque as called by locals) is located close to the hotel and is used to get to places such as Puerto Iguazu or Punta del Este. The ride to this airport took about 15 minutes and cost 17-20 pesos ($5-6). Taxis to almost anywhere inside the city are plentiful and cheap, costing only 10 pesos ($3.30) from the hotel to San Telmo, Boca, Recoleta, etc. The buses are even cheaper – just 80 centavos ($0.25) but they are not air conditioned, can be crowded, and may be difficult to figure out without a transit map.
Av. Cordoba is a busy street and some have complained about street noise. I had a 16th floor (Starwood Preferred Guest non-smoking floor) facing Av. Cordoba and did not notice any problems with noise. The area around the hotel is safe, although as in any large city, one should be careful with personal belongings as petty thieves do make a living around tourist areas. When I arrived, in addition to the doorman there was an armed security guard stationed out front.
The lobby was small by North American standards. The front desk was almost always staffed by 3 people, and without any wait I was checked in. I was assigned a king non-smoking room as requested. The room looked like it had been recently renovated. Though not large, it had nice, modern dark cabinets with lots of storage, a small but efficient bathroom with small bathtub and rainfall showerhead mounted on the ceiling, small countertop and sink, bidet, toilet, and even phone. The television was a modern LG widescreen LCD, with a few English channels as well as guest services. Behind the closet doors were robes, a safe, hairdryer, and minibar (with lots of room for storage of one’s own drinks and food). Bathroom toiletries included shampoo, conditioner, bath foam, lotion, shower cap, etc. Also in the bathroom was a complimentary bottle of still water which was replenished daily.
My package included fruit, breakfast in the room, a bottle of champagne, and late checkout. I had to call room service to get the fruit and it was delivered quickly. I never got the champagne although I was asked about it when I checked out (I don’t drink, so I declined). I preferred to take breakfast in the restaurant on the 3rd floor and that was what the front desk recommended as well. The breakfast was of good size and quality and included tea and coffee, orange and apple juice, yogurt, scrambled or poached eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, fresh whole and cut-up fruits (orange, grapefruit, kiwi, etc.) plus a variety of cold cuts, breads, cereals, and cheeses. The items were replenished regularly by the hard-working staff.
There was a lot of construction noise in the daytime, and indeed the hotel management had left a letter in the room indicating that this would be the case as the hotel is undergoing renovations. The letter also stated that only 2 of the 3 elevators would be in operation and to expect some delays as they were being replaced. However, I rode in all three of the elevators and never had to wait more than 30 seconds.
Overall, I had a very good 4* stay at the Sheraton Libertador and would be very pleased to return. Note that the tax in Argentina is a whopping 21%, so include this in your budget when selecting hotels. I found that the rate using a wholesaler like AsiaRooms was cheaper than booking directly through Sheraton since they included all the taxes in the tally.








