Yo Quiero Dormir: Quiet hotels in Buenos Aires

3/30/2007 at 9:20 AM
Tags: Buenos Aires Hotel Reviews, Buenos Aires Hotel Guide, Buenos Aires Hotels, Matt Chesterton

[Ed. Note: We have gotten a few questions about finding a hotel in Buenos Aires that are not-so-noisy, so naturally we hit up our resident Argentina hotel expert, Matt Chesterton, for his suggestions. Enjoy.]

BA stands for Buenos Aires. It could equally well stand for Bad Acoustics. This is one of the world's noisiest cities. Several street intersections make the global top 20 of eardrum-shattering junctions. On a recent trip to London we were stunned by how quiet the city centre was. That's how loud BA is.

Several readers have asked us to recommend some 'quiet hotels' in BA. It's a good question to ask and a tricky one to answer. For one thing, you can't assume that a hotel in a quiet neighborhood is a quiet hotel. The Hotel Panamericano, for example, overlooks the world's widest boulevard, Avenida 9 de Julio. But their rooms are so well soundproofed you can hear a pin drop in them. (If you want to test this out, go ahead; just be sure to pick the pin up afterwards or you're bound to tread on it.)

Award-winning Home Hotel, on the other hand, is in a peaceful neighborhood of cobblestoned streets and one-story housing, far away from major traffic arteries. But they have a lively bar and cocktail garden (over which the rooms are tightly clustered) and party-oriented guests. A group of LA advertising execs in full braying mode is, in the noise pollution stakes, a match for any number of low-flying fighter jets. And way more annoying.

There are good reasons why business people stay in 'business hotels'. They tend to be quieter, regardless of the location. They tend to have more rooms than boutique hotels, so you can easily ask for a room change if you want one. Larger three-star establishments are rarely double glazed or soundproofed but usually have quiet rooms (often the ones with a view of the parking lot).

Golden rule: If a hotel describes itself as having a 'chilled atmosphere' or anything along those lines, you can guarantee it's about as quiet as a recently kicked beehive.

[Photo: Coolinbox]