I stayed at the Tryp and found it to be a good value for the money, very nice, free internet, and great location in the center. For the second part of my time in BA (after travelling to Patagonia) I stayed at Five Cool Rooms. It was fun to be in an area that felt more like a neighborhood, and the rooms were nice, but REALLY small. Cabs are a super cheap way to get around, although they can be hard to catch at times. I didn't find the metro all that convenient, although is was fun to ride the A line on the old railcars. Most of BA isn't so huge that you can't get where you want by walking. When you get tired from walking, there seemed to be wonderful cafes on almost every corner where you can stop, have a drink or snack, and watch the world go by until you feel up to walking again!