I am a frequent business traveler and have experienced all types of accommodations in many different countries. I would like to think of myself as a discerning customer after spending as many nights away from home as I have.

Description
To give you a feel for the hotel, Vain is an elegant turn of the century style townhouse converted into a modern day chic boutique hotel. Located in the heart of Palermo SoHo, a centrally located neighborhood that has emerged as a premier shopping and cultural destination for many travelers to this city, Vain gives you quick and convenient access to world-class restaurants and all of the cities main attractions.

Vain embraces the city and the emerging spirit of a revitalizing Argentina. The class of the accommodations is top notch. With a hip and trendy style the hotel maintains practicality – avoiding the avant-garde aspects many boutique hotels try incorporating and give the guest the feeling of staying on another planet – which from my point of view is not what I am looking for. The design is practical, functional and a pleasure to interact with.

Another important item to note is regarding Vain’s size. It is large enough to not have the feel of a European Guesthouse but avoids the rat-race of a large hotel where guests often get lost in the shuffle. This is mainly attributable to the owner’s hands own approach towards accommodating guests and the staff-to-guest ratio being better than hotels on either end of the size spectrum.

After many visits to Buenos Aires I keep going back to Vain and plan on doing so during my next visits. As I have experienced and witnessed, the staff has a wonderful command of English and knowledge of the city, sites, sounds and tastes of Buenos Aires; helping direct each guest towards their own individual and unique experience in Argentina. I am always amazed, after spending time in the main area, with the staffs’ ability to pull off the most outlandish requests as if they have done it a million times – without even batting an eye.

If you are in Buenos Aires do yourself a favor. Avoid the standard westernized Intercontinental, Four Seasons, and Sheraton type hotels. Check out Vain and spend some time in Argentina.
Trey Murdock

Having booked the vain hotel based on a good trip advisor review, I feel compelled to redress the balance a little.

We chose Vain because by rating it was a fabulous location, beautiful decor, great breakfast, great service and free internet. All of which turned out to be true, however VAIN is an appropriate name, because this hotel looks great on the surface, but is missing some basics.

We were allocated a ground floor room which you could see into from reception via the window. It appeared blacked but you could see right in from the courtyard outside, we checked. This meant that you permanently had to have the shutters down so it was like sleeping in a cell. We asked to change room but they couldn't oblige.
Additionally the hotel is very new, and all doors are spring loaded, meaning that all you can hear all night is doors slamming and echoing. The shower room is tiny, and again, although looks good, water leaks out all over the floor. In our especially bad room we could also hear the 24 hour buzzer every time people were coming and going from the hotel.

I feel bad complaining because the staff were fab, and the lounge area, location decor etc were great, but we had paid extra to stay in a place a little bit special, and didn't expect to forgo the minimum of a window and a good nights sleep. BE WARNED!

First the pluses. The location was good. A 10 min walk to the action. The sitting room and outdoor area are both lovely as is the dining room downstairs.
Now the negatives. Our room had a funny smell probably from the cleaning materials they use. The bedroom, a standard superior was very small. The bathroom was tiny. We were staying 6 nights. You need a little room when staying that long. We stayed in room 206. Nice breakfast!

I booked a suite at the Vain for four nights, based on the reviews here on TripAdvisor. The location is good, the property is ok, but the service is terrible! Of all the employees we met (some 10, at least), only one could smile and be nice, all the others acted as if we were doing them a favor to stay at the hotel... Needed hangers, and ordered straight away, but it took them two days to get them to my room. No buffet breakfast, only two options that you could order but not pick the exact things you want (and neither option included ham/cheese). Although the room was clean when we arrived, they did not clean it every day while we were there... All these things could be acceptable in a two-star hotel, but not in a place that charge the price they charge!!! For the same money I am sure you can get much better stuff.