Old meets new in this art deco, ultra-modern hotel in the San Telmo district of Buenos Aires. One would be hard pressed to guess that a hotel is actually located in an unobtrusive, old building that has an elongated entrance that resembles a corridor in a commercial building, manual wrought iron gated elevators and stained glass windows. However, once you arrive at the reception area on the second floor and subsequently enter your room, it becomes apparent that this hotel is unique and special.

We found the location to be ideal. It is very convenient to the restaurants, galleries, and tango halls of San Telmo, easy walking distance to the subway stations, Florida Street, Puerto Madero, and the Obelisk, and points beyond are accessible by a short and reasonably priced cab ride. The rooms are huge, with high ceilings, large windows, a sitting area, wet bar, and many amenities such as an LCD television, portable telephone, in-room safe, bidet, daily newspaper, and ample drawer and closet space. There is also a computer in the lobby area with hi-speed internet access. Housekeeping is effecieint and was always completed in a timely manner. Contrary to some reviews, we found the room/hotel to be very quiet and never had our sleep disturbed. The beds are large and very comfortable.

Breakfast is served on the seventh floor and is basic and somewhat limited. It consists of coffee/tea, juice, croissants/toast, cold cereals, yogurt and a small selection of fruit. On several days, cold ham and cheese slices were available. Although not elaborate, breakfast was nevertheless satisfying and got you off to a good start in the morning.

One of the big pluses of this hotel is its professional, courteous, helpful and gracious staff. They are all bi-lingual and very eager to assist you in any manner possible - be it recommending a restaurant, providing directions, arranging tours or transportation, or just making your stay more comfortable. Staff can't seem to do enough to ensure that you have a pleasant and enjoyable stay at their hotel and a positive experience in Buenos Aires. You are treated more as a friend or family member rather than a hotel guest. The only minor problem we encountered was during check-out when several inadvertent charges from the mini-bar appeared on our bill. However, the receptionist quickly adjusted and credited our account.

Don't let the San Telmo area prevent you from staying at this wonderful boutique hotel. Although a few guidebooks describe the area as somewhat risky and unsafe, we never encountered any problems, even when returning late at night from restaurants or tango shows. Obviously, just like any large city, exercise caution and be aware of your surroundings.

We thouroughly enjoyed the Moreno Hotel and had a great time in Buenos Aires. I highly recommend the Moreno and will definitely stay with them again for future trips to Buenos Aires.