Second time here in 18 months, and noted some changes. Rooms updated with new furniture. Service still a feature--at least one staff member claimed to remember our names from a previous visit. Breakfast buffet continues to be bountiful. A couple of minor negatives: when we returned after dinner one night the door person reminded us that we still had time to catch the FS Tango Show. This wasn't so much advice as a sales push. There are, in truth, two places where the FS is distinctly inferior to other BA luxury hotels. The main restaurant on the lobby is no place you want to go for dinner. Indeed, the guide books mostly ignore it. The second underachievement is the FS tango show, which shouldn't be mentioned in the sane breath with that of the Faena. Still, after staying at or visiting all of the luxury hotels listed below, I would rank the FS first over all. It is less expensive that the Alvear Palace, its rooms are larger than those of the Sofitel, less austere (and bigger) than the rooms at the Park Hyatt. As for the Faena, I find it to be extraordinarily theatrical. The rooms express a kind of brothel-chic. And most guests will find it hard to live up to the hauteur of the staff.As previously noted, it has a remarkable tango show, but it can be fiercely expensive for the unaware. The package for the evening can be US$250 per person.. If you find that too dear, you can opt for a drinks only (no dinner) and don't accept their offer of a pick-up at your hotel. Just grab a cab on your own. (To be fair, my wife, who is a lot younger than I am, thinks if I was hip I would find the Faena more appealing.) Whether you attend the Faena tango show or not, you should --maybe must--go to a milonga if you like either tango or local culture. Here are two places where local people are likely to be seen dancing, La Calesita, and Centro Region la Leonesa. Here the show is the reality of locals who perform tango with artful devotion. One of the advantages of FS is you can walk through Recoleta, a neighborhood of impressive squares and narrow streets bordered by trees, sprinkled with interesting shops, cafes and everywhere interesting buildings honored with amazing doors--wooden, bronze, latticed ironwork or glass. But as you walk, keep one eye on the pavement. Portenos love dogs, but they don't love picking up after them. BA is a terrific city to explore on your own. And you should. But a guide can save you lots of time if you have a dedicated area of interest--shopping for art, or furniture,for example. We were fortunate to obtain the services of a bright and well-connected young woman who while born in Argentina was educated in the U.S. She was highly recommended by a hotel gm and by the wife of a high-ranking Argentine government official. If you're interested, please e-mail me and I will send you her contact info. Or if you want an expansion of anything herein, feel free to write.
