I am amazed there are no updates :0 In any case, I am here once more - greeted on arrival by name, the "suit" wanted to shlep my carryon with a cart, but I merely took his directions to the 8th floor lounge desk and was checked in speedily and warmly. Even at 9:00 AM, I was welcomed and given a key to an executive floor room with great views of the waterfront, Sarmiento bark and the Casa Rosada, and told about breakfast, hors d'oeuvres in the evening, etc. Great service! (I�d not expect to be allowed a room if it was crowded or there was a function going on - checkin is normally 1600 hrs / 4 PM.)

(Yet another stay, June 12 - 14 2009, at a $135 (+ onerous 21% taxes) rate. Checked in at the Exec Lounge desk on floor 8, was given #919 at noon and a courtesy late checkout, as occupancy seems less than stellarly high.)

I hope they pay a few more pesos to get some mini-chorizos without all the "spare parts" in them. Nasty burnt offerings for VIP guests don't get it.

The hotel has undergone refurbishment (finished late 2008) and is looking good; the only thing different is the mobile house wireless phones are gone. The pools are very clean, everything is well kept up and this continues to be one of the top Hilton properties. ^

Evening hors d'oeuvres were diverse and good - chicken and beef empanadas, smoked salmon minibagels, quite a bit more, as well as a large selection of soft drinks, some alcohol and a selection of (iirc, Alamos, not brilliant but just OK) wines. The goodies do get consumed, and if you arrive later, they will not likely be replenished.

The only time you will get free pours of anything alcoholic is during the cocktail hours in the late afternoon. Juices, teas, soft drinks, coffee and Villavicencio sparkling water are free.

Breakfast was less thrilling if you like hot cooked breakfasts, with "wet" scrambled eggs, uncooked rashers of bacon ("pancetta," and uncooked is typical of many locales out of the USA,) and small sausages labeled "mini-chorizos" that are chock full of bony, gristly and fatty bits - bleagh!, a broad selection of breads, some fruits, yoghurt and "fiambres" - cold cuts including jam�n serrano, smoked salmon, etc. (but it's fine for me.) It's OK - but not at the top of Hilton breakfast lists, IMO.

I was offered a late checkout, but rather checked my carryon for the day, and had the availability of using the lounge, pool, workout room, showers and bathrooms, the two computers, etc. N.B. The computers are not maintained properly, are buggy and I would suspect chock full of malware.

All in all, I will return - SUCH a better experience than the Sheraton Libertad�r (as a SPG Gold,) it's quite difficult to compare them.

BTW, currently, a taxi to Ezeiza (EZE) is about 60 pesos, a remise from the hotel is now USD $55 (no peso prices.) You can put the charges to your room, and at least will get nine or six points on your HHonors AMEX card (not bonus HH points, as the service is not actually an inside hotel service.) Give yourself an hour if you are heading out to the airport during afternoon rush hour (slightly later than the normal US rush hour, perhaps 1800 - 2000 / 6 - 8 PM, and the worst of it on Thursdays of a three day weekend, and Fridays.)

The Manuel Tienda Le�n remise from Ezeiza / EZE to the hotel is currently ARS 144 pesos, about USD $38.00 at the ARS 3.76 exchange rate this weekend.

A bit off topic, there will be a Conrad not far from there, as well as the new Hiltons in Iguaz� and / near Bariloche.

"Located in the fashionable Puerto Madero district within Argentina’s capital, the Conrad Buenos Aires will consist of a distinctive 190 guest room hotel. In addition, 350 Conrad Residences will form part of the complex.

Each of the guest rooms at the uniquely decorated Conrad Buenos Aires will be a spacious 430 square feet and will be designed to reflect the local culture. In addition, the hotel will feature a signature restaurant, a stylish lobby bar, the latest fitness facilities and close to 7,000 square feet of meeting space.
...
Both the hotel and residences will form part of a diverse development project offering close to 160,000 square feet of office space, and 54,000 square feet of retail space as well as underground parking for 1,200 cars, all within easy reach of Ministro Pistarini International airport.

Construction of the Conrad Buenos Aires is expected to begin in 2008 and completion is scheduled for early 2010." (www.4hoteliers.com)

I'm heading to the Hilton BA tomorrow and wondering what would be the best mode of transportation. It seems like I remember reading something about the train which would be good if the station is close to the hotel. Any recommendations?

Assuming you're coming from an airport, there's no rail option. You need to take a taxi. The nearest subte station is probably Alem. It's not a bad walk, but it would be very inconvenient with any significant luggage. Regardless, the subte doesn't reach the airports.

This is very old news (ca. 2000), but I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet in this long thread: the Hilton Puerto Madero features prominently in the film "Nueve Reinas". It's a fun movie and gives you some sense of the property if you haven't been yet.

JDiver -- I think that the updates are in this thread; perhaps they should be combined?

For future reference, as this seems to be a late reply to the questioner:

a hotel-booked remise to Ministro Pistarini - Ezeiza (EZE) International Airport (can be charged to your room bill - AMEX sees it as Hilton and awards six points, Hilton sees it as an outside (non-hotel) provider and you do not earn points) is USD $55;

a Manuel Tienda Le�n remise from EZE to the hotel is ARS 140 (about USD $37 at today's rates,) purchased from the booths in arrivals prior to exiting to the arrivals hall / main airport. A credit card can be used.

Prices mid-June 2009. The hotel seems not to allow charging local Pto. Madero restaurants to the room anymore - seems to have gone with the wireless telephones that worked within the hotel.

I've RBPd the moderators, so they can choose.

I updated my previous post, as I am at the hotel this weekend. (In particular, current rates for transportation are posted.)

Thanks for this update, JDiver. Just thought I'd add that the Manuel Tienda Leon bus - a very nice one - costs 45 pesos, purchased at the same booths at EZE arrivals. (They'll tell you of the remise price, and you have to ask for the bus price.) At 3.75 pesos to the dollar, that's about $12. You're taken to their downtown terminal, and then their minivans take customers to their hotels. Returning to the airport, you have to take a ($4-$5) black and yellow taxi to their downtown terminal, then catch their bus. MTL doesn't pick up at the Hilton.

I wish I'd known that we could charge meals at nearby restaurants to our room. Though it's moot now, did this include Las Lilas, or just restaurants on the Hilton's side of the water?

Can you say more about what you mean about the telephones?

Thanks again.

JDiver, would you - or others familiar with the Hilton - have heard why they're discontinuing Point Stretcher awards June 30, after having them every day since February 1? Particularly at what must be the nadir of tourism, mid-winter? Has the economy rebounded?

And I forgot to mention before, there's a United city ticket office just down the street from the Hilton, same side of the water. After expensively calling UA several times to make changes to my return, I learned that I could have walked...

I moved as many trip reports and reviews from the other thread as I can into this thread so that it makes more sense, as the Hilton Buenos Aires thread is for general information and questions, whereas this thread is devoted primarily to trip reports and reviews.

If there is any other way I can be of service, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you.

Regards,

Canarsie
Co-Moderator, Hilton forum

There is no rail option for EZE, but you really don't need to take a taxi -- at least not for the entirety of the trip from the airport to the hotel.

It's possible to take the Manuel Tienda Leon bus from the airport to the drop off point in the city and then either: (a) walk to the hotel if knowing the way and without (much or any) luggage; or (b) taxi it (if not familiar with the area and/or with luggage).

Using the Manuel Tiendaleon bus is the cheapest option that is suitable for foreign tourists.

I can second everything that JDiver just said, I stayed there with my parents (Separate room both are HH Gold) back in March for a short weekend (2 nights for them, they boarded a cruise, I was there for 3 nights).

We arrived on Delta and were happy to report that, upon checkin around 9:30am our rooms were ready. They had an expansive junior suite, I had a HUGE but normal (for that hotel) executive level room. Almost the same size as the Fantastic Suite that I had at the W New York this weekend. Walk in closet and shower along with a nice view of the park.

Staff was superb always willing to make sure that we had what we needed, helpful with recommendations.

Enjoyed the Executive lounge, staff was constantly visible but never intrusive. I didn't have any issues with the food offerings, I was happy with them for breakfast and for light snacks.

All in all one of the best hotels I've stayed at worldwide and a great price value.

We'll be staying at the Hilton BA next year. Can anyone tell me the type of power adaptor used in the rooms? I read here that there's a universal plug in the bathroom. I know that it's 220volt.
Thanks

According to kropla.com, the best source for this kind of information, European two pin and / or Australian three pins (two slanted inward plus blade above, but ground and active pins reversed.) It is 220 V / 50 Hz.

I can't actually recall, because I take an adapter that works with practically every outlet worldwide - makes it easy.

When I looked it up it seemed like there were a variety of plugs used throughout the country. As we're only staying at the Hilton I was trying to limit carrying all of the small parts that I end up losing when I travel!