What are the different accommodation options in Buenos Aires that we looked at for our stay? This is the process we went through when looking at lodging here to help you make the best decision for yourself when visiting Buenos Aires.
What Accommodation Options in Buenos Aires Did We Look At?
The three main options for lodging that we looked at in Buenos Aires are hostels, hotels, and short-term rentals (Airbnb, VRBO, etc).
Before choosing an accommodation option, we put together a list of our requirements within our lodging. Based on these requirements, we compare all options at a large scale to determine the best type of accommodation style works for us at this time. This checklist can change and morph based on our trip type and destination. (A vacation at a beach destination, a trip through some European cities, and a road trip to a national park each look different in terms of lodging priorities.)
Short-Term Rentals in Buenos Aires
Let’s talk about why we chose short-term rentals:
- Cost: we found that short-term rentals were the most cost-effective options for our travel style in Buenos Aires. The emphasis here is on “our travel style”. It is important to design travel to your own style and preferences. You can definitely find more cost effective options within hostels if you share a room with other travelers. However, as a couple, we knew that this was not something that we were comfortable with doing. (This is not the case around the world. In fact, sometimes short-term rentals are more expensive than hotels, especially from our experience in the United States and Europe.)
- Different spaces within the lodging: As we were planning our time in Buenos Aires, we realized that we would potentially be here for a few weeks. As a result, we wanted to find a space that had a kitchen to make some meals and a separate desk area for either of us to work while here. We thought that short-term rentals would be the most amenable to that need.
- Location: many hotels and hostels are located in or near the center of the city. Because of the amount of time that we were here, we wanted to experience the local residential neighborhoods. And short-term rentals allowed us to do that.
Hostels - The Solo Traveler Option
Hostels are typically the least expensive option, especially if you stay in shared rooms with other travelers, which makes them ideal for solo travelers or groups of friends. Because of the economic crisis in Argentina, you may even be able to pay for the hostel in cash (either dollars or pesos), which would make the stay even less expensive. You can read about how to exchange currency to pesos to get the most for your money here.
A private room in a hostel will be more expensive than a private short-term rental and will often be close in price to some hotels. That’s not to say you should switch to a hotel if you reach that price threshold, and we always consider private room hostels when we are traveling.
Hostels often have communal amenities and spaces that make it really easy to meet fellow travelers. They may have organized events and activities that help individual travelers develop a community and start to integrate into local culture. Read here the other ways that we have been able to meet people.
I always look at reviews at HostelWorld.com to determine if I want to stay in a particular hostel. People definitely provide candid feedback that is useful for making a decision!
The Benefits of Hotels
Finally, hotels are a great option if convenience and comfort is your main priority. They are the most expensive accomodation in Buenos Aires that we looked at when analyzing lodging. Similarly to hostels, hotels are often located near the main tourist sites. They are also concentrated in the neighborhoods of San Telmo, Montserrat, San Nicolas, Recoleta, and Palermo.
There are many conveniences to staying at a hotel that you cannot find in other lodging. If you want to use organized tours to explore the city and the surrounding area, many have pick-up and drop-off services at your hotel. The hotel concierge can really help make your trip easier if you do not speak Spanish, as they typically speak different languages (especially English and French). Depending on the hotel, they can help you make reservations at restaurants, shows, or events. Argentina continues to be an analogue culture and many reservations are made in-person, via email, or over the phone rather than on the internet. In addition, the hotel may even know about activities that are not even published online!
I use Google Travel – Hotels to initially evaluate hotels in an area. I filter based on my budget and guest review threshold. Unpopular opinion: I personally do not solely commit to one hotel alliance and like to look at all my options when booking a hotel. I always compare third-party websites (Hotels.com and Booking.com, which also have their own reward systems) to the official hotel website of local independent hotels and bed & breakfasts. The official websites may have better and discounted pricing that is not listed on Google Travel – Hotels and beats the prices of third-party sites.