Review

Smell, hear and feel the bustle of Buenos Aires then retreat to this chic, minimalist haven. The dark horse of Buenos Aires’ hotel design, the Esplendor (part of a Madrid chain) is the converted Phoenix Hotel attached to the Galeria Pacifico shopping centre.

The location is far from romantic – you are right at the city’s Microcentro coalface – but this historic building has an ice-cool heart, and the Esplendor is exactly the kind of hotel you want to come back to after a heavy night’s clubbing. It feels clean, is clean, and the stark spacious rooms will clear the head.

The building’s 20th-century white stone Italian façade conceals three 60 square metre penthouse suites with bedside Jacuzzis, twenty 40 square metre suites and twenty-eight 25 square metre rooms; the doors to the rooms are over 4 metres high. All feature bold cement lines, ooze attitude and top Buenos Aires’ league for stylish urban modernism.

There is also an Esplendor Hotel down in El Calafate, a convenient base if you plan to visit Patagonia’s famous Los Glaciares National Park. El Claustro Santa Catalina in front of the hotel is a peaceful spot for lunch.