Best Hotel Bets

• Best Luxury Hotels: These two hotels top my list of luxury accommodations in Buenos Aires, and they top the lists of numerous travel magazines as well. The Alvear Palace Hotel, Av. Alvear 1891 (tel. 11/4808-2100), is a gilded confection of carved marble and ornate French furniture. It's the ultimate grand hotel experience in Buenos Aires, complete with butler service. The Four Seasons Hotel, Posadas 1086-88 (tel. 11/4321-1200), offers subdued luxury (elegance without the flash), quiet pampering, and a refuge from the bustle of the city in the hotel's walled garden.

• Best Historic Hotels: The Marriott Plaza Hotel, Calle Florida 1005 (tel. 11/4318-3000), is the oldest of the grand hotels still operating in Buenos Aires, and its location on Plaza San Martín can't be beat. The Hotel Castelar (tel. 11/4383-5000) sits on Avenida de Mayo, once the city's most glamorous street. This hotel, adorned with Italian marble and bronze, was the favorite choice of Lorca and other Spanish writers in the 1930s, when Buenos Aires was the intellectual and literary capital of the Spanish-speaking world.

• Best See-and-Be-Seen Hotels: The Faena Hotel and Universe, Martha Salotti 445 (tel. 11/4010-9000), located in the Puerto Madero district, is the fashionista's see-and-be-seen choice. The hotel was designed with several bars in the lobby and a pool out front, so that any new arrivals would know exactly who else was around. In Recoleta, the new Buenos Aires Park Hyatt, Av. Alvear 1661 (tel. 11/5171-1234), built into the old Palacio Duhau, has the best garden in the city. It's here that fashionable ladies come to lunch and be seen and businesspeople make decisions over drinks alfresco.

• Best Boutique Hotels: With the tourism boom, boutique hotels have become all the rage in Buenos Aires. These are some of the best, and the newest. Home in Palermo Viejo, Honduras 5860 (tel. 11/4778-1008), offers a home away from home that's both trendy and welcoming, and has kept prices reasonable in spite of its popularity. Nearby, Legado Mítico, Gurruchaga 1848 (tel. 11/4833-1300), has large rooms, each named and designed after a famous Argentine; a book- and wing-back-chair-filled English-style lobby; and pampering wine-based toiletries. Bo-Bo in Palermo, Guatemala 4882 (tel. 11/4774-0505), is housed in a European-style mansion from 1920, and each of the seven rooms follows a different design aesthetic.

• Best Budget Hotel: A property of the French miracle chain Hotel Ibis, Hipólito Yrigoyen 1592 (tel. 11/5300-5555), wins in this category. The efficient service and location overlooking Congreso make this an excellent choice.

• Best Hotel Gyms: The gym in the Pan Americano, Carlos Pellegrini (9 de Julio) 551 (tel. 11/4348-5000), must be seen to be believed. It sits in a rooftop 3-story glass box, so that you feel as if you're floating over Avenida 9 de Julio while running on the treadmills. The Marriott Plaza Hotel, Calle Florida 1005 (tel. 11/4318-3000), also has an enormous gym with an abundance of equipment.

• Best Hotel Pools: In the hot summer months of the Southern Hemisphere (Dec-Mar), any hotel pool is a welcome treat in Buenos Aires, but two really stand out. The Pan Americano, Carlos Pellegrini (9 de Julio) 551 (tel. 11/4348-5000), has a combination indoor-outdoor pool on its roof, so that you can gaze out over the city while you're swimming. The Four Seasons, Posadas 1086-88 (tel. 11/4321-1200), has the best garden swimming pool in Recoleta. Lounging poolside in the walled garden complex, you'll forget that you're in the heart of the city.

• Best Business Hotel: With its location away from the noise of the city in Puerto Madero, and with one of the largest convention centers in all of Buenos Aires, the Hilton Buenos Aires, Av. Macacha Güemes 351 (tel. 11/4891-0000), is a logical choice for travelers on business. Its business center, complete with translation services, is also one of the largest in Buenos Aires.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.