HotelChatter || Old Money vs. New Money in Buenos Aires

[Ed. Note: Hotel Maven Tim Leffel's last report on Argentina gives us an inside look at two polar opposites serving wealthy visitors to Buenos Aires: Alvear Palace and Faena Hotel & Universe. Enjoy.]

At La Cabaña, the best steakhouse in Buenos Aires (which is really saying something), general manager Mirco Zampieri says he can spot a reservation from Alvear Palace Hotel or Faena Hotel & Universe as soon as the visitors walk in the door. "The ones from Alvear are wearing the best tailored clothes, the most expensive jewelry, and look very refined and sophisticated."

Visitors from Faena, however, tend to be less subtle. "They look like they walked straight out of a fashion magazine. Very stylish and brash, usually young and beautiful," Zampieri says, calling the difference the embodiment of old money and new money. Captains of industry and finance on one hand, the new leaders in fashion, design, and entertainment on the other.

Alvear Palace Hotel is all about grandeur the way it was in the roaring 1920s: acres of marble, crystal chandeliers, gilded mirrors, fine china, and impeccable service from people in formal attire. Classical music and jazz fill the public areas. The full-page celebrity guest list would be the envy of nearly any hotel in the world. Who else has hosted the King of Spain, the Emporer of Japan, Walt Disney, George Soros, Francis Ford Coppola, and Pamela Anderson? This is no fading relic, however. Rooms are luxurious and spacious and are tricked out with plenty of gadgetry, as in phones that control the lighting and music, and flat TVs over the tub in premium rooms.

More on New Money vs. Old Money after the jump.

At the Philippe Starck designed Faena Hotel & Universe, the word "experience" guides everything. There is no lobby. Guests wander into a red hallway out of a David Lynch dream and are greeted by their "experience manager," who takes care of everything throughout the stay.

Each public room has a different soundtrack: mostly obscure international music that only those in the know will recognize. The most formal restaurant is all white on white, with unicorn heads mounted on the walls.

Theaters on site host hip tango shows, dramatic performances, and rock nights. Meeting rooms are considered way too stuffy--ideas are discussed and laptops passed around wherever the creative urge happens to strike, including at the outdoor pool.

If you don't fit into the platinum company of international bank presidents nor the oh-so-hip company of fashionistas and film producers, you can aim down the middle instead and stay at the brand new Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt.

Related Stories:
· Alvear Palace Hotel reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Faena Hotel + Universe reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt Opens [HotelChatter]

Hotel Reviews:
Alvear Palace
Faena Hotel And Universe

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