Beautiful hotel, great location. The rooms were lovely, comfortable, very clean. Great swimming pool, great exercise room. The staff was very helpful and friendly, although it could be more organized: If it weren't for the car service that never arrived (they were not good
at follow up) and, surprisingly, TERRIBLE coffee in a land of serious coffee lovers ... I would say it was a five star hotel. If theyimprove the front desk and the coffee, it should be top rated.

We stayed at the Hotel Emperador from 12/29/06-1/3/07. The front desk staffed ranged from indifferent and condescending to downright incompetent and outright liars. We nearly missed our flight back to the USA because the car they supposedly booked for us the day before never arrived. We were supposed to have a car at 8pm for a flight at 10:50 pm. That morning my husband again spoke with the front desk to confirm that the car would be there (we couldnt just take a radio taxi because there were 4 of us with 4 bags and the taxis are small).No car by 8, and the valet and front desk people ignored us. Finally got someone at the front desk to help us, but no car by 8:15, I had to go and flag down a cab myself and we rode to the airport with our bags between our legs in a taxi with a broken speedometer.We had previous problems with the front desk and valet-they refused to help us get a cab new years eve, saying that the radio system was down (I easily proceeded to get one myself), the concierge lied and said that the phone was busy when she was supposed to call me back with info on a ranch trip, etc. They also tried to charge us for laundry service at checkout, which we never used. When we asked what company owned the hotel, so that we could direct our complaints to them after the airport taxi fiasco, they refused to tell us and handed us a form to fill out!
The hotel is physically very nice, the rooms were clean, breakfast was OK, and the location OK (although next time I would stay in Recoleta or Palermo Viejo where you can walk to restaurants at night more easily), but I would never stay here again or recommend the place because of the poor front desk service. In a city of so many helpful, friendly people, I dont know how they put together this dour, thoughtless, insensitive, incompetent crew.

Stayed Dec 19-20, 2006 and thought the hotel was great. The location is in a very good area and within walking distance to many great shopping areas and restaurants. The front desk staff were very helpful making arrangements for a city tour and tango show. We arrived at the hotel very early in the morning after disembarking a cruise and were pleasantly surprised to find our room was available at that time. Our room rate included the buffet breakfast which we enjoyed. The dining room and bar area are lovely and we found the service to be good. We will definately stay there again.

This is potentially a great hotel. A safe convenient location, with spacious comfortable rooms, which were reasonably quiet wherever situated. Our tour meant we had 3 brief stays at this hotel, and the rooms were excellent, whether overlooking the garden or the very busy main road in front.
But service is very poor. However, I think the problem is one of staff levels rather than the quality of the staff. The reception staff are rushed off their feet, with a very high turnover of guests - it is disappointing but no surprise that they seem surly and unhelpful at times. An even worse example of chronic understaffing is at breakfast: long lines form of people waiting for a table, while half the tables are waiting to be cleared and cannot be occupied - and this is buffet style breakfast (good, if and when you get to eat it).
The management seem to have lost the plot as far as staff are concerned - the hotel is well worth considering if you are going to BA, but don't book until the service is reported to have improved