I am going to BA in November, I fly over night and land in the morning. Tentatively on my own but could be with a couple of friends.

Am I best of booking a hotel before I fly or try getting a last minute deal when I get there? Lock-in something now? Or wait until closer but not on arrival to sort that out?

In terms of hotel, I usually like staying at The W or Art'Otel when I travel. Not for the Starwood points but because I like the uber modern trendy luxury hotel vibe and it is generally a youngish crowd in the bar where you can meet people. I have done some Googling and struggling to find something comparable. Would really appreciate a recommendation.

Now that the dual exchange rate game is over, I think that booking a hotel in EZE is the same as booking a hotel anywhere else.... not sure there is a book on when its best to book. You can roll the dice in many different ways but in the end it seems that the old supply/demand game will do its thing.

No W is Buenos Aires... not sure what the equivalent would be, there are some theme hotels in town but cant help you much in terms of finding something comparable. Having said this, the local youngish crowd in EZE do not hang out in hotels so perhaps its irrelevant where you stay since you will most probably be leaving your place of abode to find what you are looking for in one of the bar/club areas of town.

Have a good trip.

Agree with the above.

I would strongly recommend you don't arrive with nothing booked as there could be a large conference on and they tend to book the well known branded hotels if that's what you're after. I'd personally go for somewhere like the Hilton at Puerto Madero. I like the atmosphere there at night.

You might check out the Faena bar - it will be spendy but it also might have the closest thing to a hotel bar scene that you're looking for. That said, I've never been. The more hip/boutique hotels tend to be quite small.

My guess would be the Faena too, but it's much more expensive than most Ws.

There are a bunch of interesting boutique hotels in Buenos Aires, but most of them wouldn't have a bar scene.

Perhaps the OP should think in terms of picking a hotel with good bars catering to young people nearly. To me, that would suggest the Palermo/Soho areas, but I'm sure there are experts around here who can make suggestions.

W-like hotel bar scenes in Buenos Aires? Not that I've seen much of that at any of the BsAs properties. And I would include the Faena as not being the same kind of thing.

I'd be just fine with the Hilton in Puerto Madero and taking taxis/cars from there to go to some place other than a hotel bar.

I don't even know what a W-like bar scene is but I suspect I'm far too old for that malarkey.
I do like the feel around Puerto Madero in the evenings, summer especially. It's lively, relaxing and people of all ages are welcome.

The proverbial old dude with a younger, more attractive Argentine spouse? The red ropes may part like the proverbial Red Sea for Moses.

Too old for this kind of place in the W Miami, often with plenty of Argentine eye candy around too:

http://worldredeye.com/2010/11/thank...g-eve-at-wall/ ?

Malarkey about being too old. Just come in a kilt with the proper tartan.

Eh? I'm a toy boy, she's two months older than me.

Our days of drinking Champagne in overpriced joints are well and truly over thank goodness. Early to bed with a cup of tea to watch downloaded British telly is much more to our liking these days. ^

I stayed at the Hilton Curio Sao Tome. They have a truly magnificent bar, except there was never anyone using it. It was also like $70 a night when I was there. Nearby there are a few pubs to socialize, I actually ended meeting people at the nearby starbucks, really sexy and exotic right?

You mean San Telmo?

This hotel in San Telmo:

Anselmo.

http://curiocollection3.hilton.com/e...out/index.html

While it is the opposite of modern, I always recommend the Alvear Palace Hotel. It is a family owned hotel with some of the most personable, wonderful service I have ever experienced in a city hotel. The hotel bar is a champagne bar with a great vibe. Their afternoon tea is often filled with locals. It has amazing food and feels so much more authentic than if it were an int'l chain property. It is a truly special property.

Very valid points indeed. The Alvear is probably one of the best (if not the best) hotel in Buenos Aires. It is also the most expensive, most times of the year by a considerable margin.

The Alvear's F&B Department is a legend in the city, with even simple things like a traditional Club Sandwich made with attention to each & every detail. All the restaurants & bars at the hotel are top notch, offer extraordinary service, but do come with prices that match what you will pay at a high-end hotels in most International destinations.

For those with a flexible budget, hat enjoy European & Old World style d�cor/ambiance, the Alvear is certainly an address that should be on your short-list of places to stay.

I guess you're really old if you think you're a toy boy rather that a boy toy.