Still not completely sold on Recoleta and thus looking at other barios.
Any opinion on Retiro as a location? How about the Alvear Art hotel?

If you want concrete advice then you have to be specific about what you are looking for and what budget you have. From your above two posts it is clear you are looking at properties that are very far away from each other in the quality/price spectrum.

Be specific about how much you want to spend, what services you expect, what your interests are, what you plan to do.... etc. Without specifics, its very hard to point you in the right direction. As a final comment, Google Earth is hardly the best way to judge the "feel" of a place... its just another tool in your toolbox so I would suggest you give it nothing more than a relative weighing in your overall assessment.

1) Value for money hotel with good wifi. Prefer suites over ordinary hotel rooms.
2) If breakfast is offered, it should be European style with fresh baked breads, eggs made to order, etc. Not the American style grossness. If no breakfast offered, there should be a breakfast/luncheon place within walking distance.
3) Within walking distance of restaurants (don't care about shopping)
4) Within walking distance or a short cab ride/public transport to gay nightlife
5) Within walking distance or a short cab ride/public transport to sights.

Some examples of cities were I have stayed and loved the location:

Amsterdam: Red Light District (walk to bars; family visit so no sightseeing requirement)
Barcelona: Plaça Universitat (walk to bars, restaurants, sights)
Lima: Miraflores (leafy neighborhood; walk to restaurants, clubs; cab to sights)
Lisbon: Plaza Carmo (cobble stone neighborhood; restaurants everywhere; walk or cab to clubs and sights)
Mexico City: Condesa (leafy neighborhood; walk to restaurants, bars; metro to sights)
Paris: Les Halles (walk to bars; metro to sights)

After initially considering Retire and Palermo, I think that Recoleta might work best for me to stay for the first time in Buenos Aires.
Hotels that I have been looking at have the following rates for my dates (prepaid, non-refundable, tax not included) :

Buenos Aires Grand hotel, Deluxe Studio: $186/night
CasaSur Art, Superior: $199/night
Etoile, Executive Suite: $115/night
Loi Suites, Executive Studio: $160/night
Park Hyatt, Park King: $125/night + 40,000 points
Urban Suites, Suite with View: $138/night

In most cases I have chosen a room one step up from the basic option.
Most of these properties provide free, in-room wifi, except Loi Suites.
The Grand and PH do not provide free breakfast.

Any other properties I should be considering?

Note that your prepaid rates are going to require you to pay in US$, while a pay @ hotel rate is going to permit you to buy AR$ at the blue-ish rate and pay what should be the US$ rate x official exchange rate. So, i.e., (your exchange rate may vary) a US$100 room will cost AR$850. The same $100 will buy you, i.e., AR$1350. If you put the room on your CC, you'll pay $100. If you pay in AR$ cash, you'll have an extra AR$500 in your pocket.

The prepaid rates are lower by at least 20% compared to the other rates.
Care to commend on my selection of hotels? Any experience with any of these?

I stay at the place in my signature, and have done so since late 2008. ;)

Paying in Argentine pesos onsite, as suggested above, can also save 30-35%, but hey, it's only money. :)

Who knows what will happen to the exchange rate 3 months from now...

Will be staying at the Park Hyatt for 3 nights, and wanted to get some advice on some nice restaurants nearby. Any suggestions? Mid-range price, but could definitely splurge for nice steak! First time in BA, so any suggestions on what to do as well. How about a Tango show?

Thank you for this thread.

My wife and I will be in BA for 3 nights early october this year.

We arrive and depart from AEP and would be grateful for advice re a nice hotel nearby -
say 3 or 4 star ,

no need for it be part of big chain

wifi and bfast included

and in a safe area

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

I would consider the following options....

LOI Suites Recoleta
NH Buenos Aires Crillon
Hotel Fierro Buenos Aires

For Tango Show.... I could consider Rojo Tango at the Faena Complex. There are others, Senior Tango.... and many others.

For restaurants, please check out the Buenos Aires F&B thread....

Cheers,
Alex / Gaucho100K

Here is a link to the F&B Thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/argen...-volume-i.html

Suggest you read it from back to front so that you get the more updated information first.

hi, quick question about paying for a transfer from EZE into the city -- best to pay with credit card or withdraw just enough pesos from an airport ATM at the official rate? both basically the same?

i'm an american living in/traveling from europe so planning to use xoom or exchange euros closer to blue rate once i get into the city but not sure what's best upon arrival...