IC Buenos Aires

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive? Booked an entry level room on a flexible rate and used our CSU voucher to upgrade to a Junior Suite for the first five nights. We stayed for a week and they very kindly left us in the suite for the last two nights, which represented an upgrade of a dozen or so levels. Suite was twice the price of the entry level room.

How are the rooms? Quaint is the word that springs to mind. The suite was the size of two standard rooms. It had wooden floors and antique style furniture. At one end was the bed and the opposite end was a sofa and two armchairs, with the desk against the wall. There was a tall cupboard between the two windows which housed the minibar and in room coffee station. The TV was on top of this. There was a CD player in the room but we hadn’t taken our CD collection on holiday! Bathroom was opposite a separate toilet/bidet with the wardrobes and dressing area in between. Bathroom amenities were unbranded plastic miniatures.

How is the exec. lounge? Tiny. It consists of three rooms. One end has four tables for two. The other end had a single table for two at the window plus a large sofa. The main room in the centre had a further seven tables for two plus the food and drinks. It wasn’t busy during our stay (mid August) so we usually had a window seat for breakfast and always had the sofa for happy hour. I imagine in summer it would get crowded. Refreshments were fine. The food was far more varied at breakfast than at happy hour. There was no afternoon tea but the lounge was open all day and served cakes, pastries and packaged snacks along with hot drinks plus various soft drinks between 11 and 6. It was closed for redecoration on our first day so we ate breakfast in the main restaurant, had a $10 allowance for drinks at the bar during the day and two hour session at the bar for cocktails in the evening.

What was good and what was bad? The flight landed at EZE at 8.20am so we were at the hotel before 10. I expected to wait for the room but we were given the keys straight away. We went out and about a lot. Each time we returned we were greeted by name by several staff members. On arrival we were given some local Tita snacks. They were chocolate covered cookies. Later on, a cheese, fruit and charcuterie platter was sent up to the suite. I remembered to take a photo. The pool was good. We went for a dip every day. My son also used the well equipped gym. We chose a drinks voucher for our welcome amenity.
Bad - there was a Nespresso machine in the room with two branded capsules. If we wanted more capsules we had to pay for them. This was mean and peso pinching. How ridiculous to be allowed one complimentary coffee per person per week. I was asked for feedback by a manager who was in the lounge on the last day. I told him that in every other IC I have stayed, capsules were automatically replenished FREE OF CHARGE every day. I also included a comment to this effect in the online feedback I received after the stay.
Also, the room keys failed a lot. I had mine replaced four times and my son had his replaced three times.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return? We spent a grand total of £94 a night on the suite. Plus we used an Amex 241 for our club flights from LHR. Bargain holiday all round. I wish that all ICs were this cheap.