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American Morning
Hotels of Buenos Aires
Aired September 07, 2001 - 09:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: For better or worse, most of us develop lasting impressions about the cities we visit based on where we stay.
CNN travel correspondent Gail O'Neill is here to tell us about two hotels in Buenos Aires that reflect that city's many charms, and they are considerable.
GAIL O'NEILL, CNN TRAVEL CORRESPONDENT: Considerable is not even the word, Jeanne. You have to see to really believe it.
More than anything, Buenos Aires is known for its styles. It's a blending of the classic and contemporary that's earned the Argentine capital a reputation for being the Paris of South America. Their hotels we're about to see enhance that image beautifully.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): The Design Suites and Towers is a four star, full service hotel that's made quite a splash with its imaginative layout. In a classic case of necessity being the mother of invention, what started out as a space deficit here was cleverly turned into a design advantage.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, the swimming pool is something that everyone that enters into the hotel says, "wow"!
O'NEILL: An on site bar offers everything from quick pick me ups to inventive restaurant fare. And all 40 rooms feature clean lines with utilitarian furniture, making the design suites a prime example of new school aesthetics.
But for old-world charm, the standard bearer has always been the Alvear Palace. This hotel was built in 1932, and is one of the finest representations of what has been called the belle epoch of Argentina.
LAURA MATTA, ALVEAR PALACE HOTEL: This hotel was built originally to be a hotel, and to give Europeans a place to stay where they wouldn't miss Paris so much.
O'NEILL: From any of the hotel's 12 sitting rooms, to its individual suites, the tone is set by high ceilings, understated luxury and a mix of empire and Louis XV period furniture. In the 1990's, a multimillion dollar restoration project was initiated to bring back the Alvear's original splendor, and no detail was overlooked.
MATTA: On the ground floor, everything you see there is original: The marbles, the chandeliers, the bronzes.
O'NEILL: Another staple that remains the same is the level of service that has always distinguished the Alvear as a world-class establishment. And with a staff of 500 overseeing the needs of just 212 guest rooms, this 70-year-old bastion of elegance continues to live up to its reputation, one gesture at a time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: Just lovely. But, now the moment of truth: What's the price tag?
O'NEILL: The moment of truth. You always pay a price. And comparable to any big city hotel, the rates here are as different as the pictures you just saw. The Alvear is a luxury hotel in every sense of the word, and that kind of service and comfort does come at a premium with prices ranging from $400 to $3,000 a night. On the other hand, you have the Design Suites Hotel with rooms starting at $180 a night.
So, the saving are significant, but as with most boutique hotels, space is limited and furnishings are sparse. There's also a 21 percent room tax on all hotel rooms throughout Argentina, which will be done away with January 1st of 2002. That's a good thing.
MESERVE: And we can see more about this on "TRAVEL NOW."
O'NEILL: "TRAVEL NOW" at 6:30 and 11:00 tomorrow morning, Saturday morning, eastern time, on CNN.
MESERVE: Gail, thanks so much.
O'NEILL: You're welcome.
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