Where to stay in Buenos Aires – To choose where to stay in Buenos Aires, you first need to know whether you prefer the practicality of staying close to the city’s main tourist attractions or the comfort of the Argentine capital’s most charming residential neighborhoods.
Many tourists prefer to stay in the center of Buenos Aires. Thus, they end up giving up experiencing a little of what day-to-day life is like for those who live in the city.
Others, especially those who already know the city from previous trips, do the opposite. They prefer to stay in neighborhoods like Recoleta and Palermo, which are much more pleasant, going to the Center just to visit its attractions.
6 Best Neighborhoods to Stay in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is a city with many accommodation options spread across different regions. For those who want to know the alternatives in more depth, below we have created a complete list with our main tips for each neighborhood.
Our selection shows how the city’s best neighborhoods and hotels can shape the features of your trip.
If you need to book a place to stay in Buenos Aires, one of our suggestions is sure to be perfect for your plans.
Each choice has its positive and negative points. In this text we help you decide where to stay in Buenos Aires based on what you intend to do on your trip .
1. Recoleta
When choosing where to stay in Buenos Aires, many first-time tourists book hotels in the central region. Those who already have some experience go in the opposite direction and stay in the neighborhoods.
And among the hotel districts of Buenos Aires, Recoleta is most people’s favorite place to stay.
Best Hotels in Recoleta
In the Recoleta neighborhood, close to Las Heras metro station, good hotel choices are:
- Dazzler Recoleta , from the same chain that we always recommend in Buenos Aires and also in Montevideo .
- ARC Recoleta .
- On the other side of the neighborhood, close to the super famous (and beyond the limits of most people’s budget) Alvear Hotel , the good options are:
- Esplendor Plaza Francia , which after the Facultad de Derecho metro station opened, became an excellent option.
- Hotel Intersur.
If you’re looking for a hostel in the neighborhood, the best of all is Reina Madre Hostel , which is close to Avenida Santa Fe.
Is it worth staying in Recoleta?
Deciding to stay in Recoleta can scare many people away, believing that the aristocratic profile of the neighborhood makes accommodation prices higher.
But when you search, you will soon see that it is very easy to find hotel rates in Recoleta at the same levels as what is charged in the central region.
Recoleta is an upscale neighborhood, full of well-preserved historic buildings, with good cafes and restaurants, which always offers great opportunities for walking.
Despite being outside the Center, the neighborhood is close enough to the main attractions, a quick subway, taxi or Uber ride away.
Until a few years ago, dependence on taxis was the biggest disadvantage of staying in Recoleta, because there was no metro station in the neighborhood. But this was resolved a long time ago, after the extension of the H line in 2015.
With the metro, Recoleta has become the obvious answer when looking for where to stay in Buenos Aires.
If you are considering booking a hotel in any other area of the city, it is a good idea to reconsider and see if it is not worth staying there and enjoying the best that Buenos Aires has to offer.
2. Palermo Soho
Palermo is the largest neighborhood in Buenos Aires. Palermo is so big that it has several informal subdivisions according to its characteristics.
Two of these denominations, Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood, are great options when choosing where to stay in Buenos Aires.
Palermo Soho is where most of the activity in Palermo is. Soho is a modern neighborhood with sophisticated shops and home to the best restaurants in the city.
The central axis of Palermo Soho are its two squares, Plaza Serrano and Plaza Armenia, from which the neighborhood’s commercial area radiates. Staying close to them puts you in the center of all the activity in Palermo, although a little far from the metro stations, as line D crosses the neighborhood along Avenida Santa Fe.
In Palermo Soho it is worth trying:
- The Nuss Buenos Aires Soho , to be located right in the center of the neighborhood;
- Soho Point , if you’re looking for a more affordable option.
3. Palermo Hollywood
In Palermo Hollywood, visitors will also find several renowned restaurants, but the occupation is more spaced out, with there not being a small center like there is around the squares in the neighboring neighborhood.
In Palermo Hollywood, activity is more intense at night, when the bars in the area are packed. The busiest streets in the neighborhood, worth a walk, are those parallel to the railway line, Calles Humboldt and Fitz Roy.
On Calle Humbolt, our recommendation is the Dazzler Palermo , where we stayed on our last visit to Buenos Aires and we loved it.
Is it worth staying in Palermo?
Separated by the railway line that cuts through Avenida Scalabrini Ortiz, the two sides of Palermo have a residential profile, like Recoleta, with a huge focus on gastronomic tourism, in a neighborhood packed with the best restaurants in the city.
South of the railway line, Palermo Soho is named for its artistic and bohemian flair, resembling the most famous Soho neighborhoods, those in London and New York.
Palermo Hollywood, to the north, is home to several Buenos Aires audiovisual production companies, which ended up giving the region its nickname.
Staying in Palermo is ideal for those who want to enjoy the feeling of being in Buenos Aires, go out for a walk, eat, have an ice cream, and are not so obsessed with visiting tourist attractions.
On our last trip to Argentina, it was in Palermo that we stayed, at Dazzler Palermo . And, honestly, after this experience on our next visits we will no longer have doubts about where to stay in Buenos Aires, we will always go to Palermo.
4. Puerto Madero
If you want to stay very close to the Center, but far from all the commercial activity there during the day, the solution could be to stay in Puerto Madero.
The planned neighborhood, the city’s new tourist attraction, does not have many hotel options and those that exist are still aimed at a more exclusive and demanding public. But if it fits into your budget, it can serve as an alternative.
In Puerto Madero the best options are:
- Or Hilton Buenos Aires
- And the Faena Hotel .
5. Microcenter
The Center of Buenos Aires is divided into two sub-neighborhoods called San Nicolas and Montserrat. The central part of San Nicolas, where the best hotels are located, is also known as Microcentro.
If, when deciding where to stay in Buenos Aires, you choose the city center, try to stay at Microcentro.
As the region has the disadvantage of little nighttime activity, in Microcentro this can at least be alleviated with the movement in the theaters and cinemas on Avenida Corrientes and Calle Florida.
In this region, NH Buenos Aires hotels are always excellent choices. Among other places, they have units:
- On Florida Street ,
- On Avenida 9 de Julho , overlooking the Obelisk,
- On Corrientes Avenue ,
- On Avenida Córdoba
In addition to them, Dazzler Maipú is a great tip for those who want to stay well at Microcentro.
6. Montserrat
From Avenida de Mayo heading south is the neighborhood of Montserrat, which is the political heart of Downtown Buenos Aires.
Being a little further away from the area most popular with tourists, Montserrat suffers a little more from the lack of activities at dusk than Microcentro. The neighborhood, however, can be interesting for those who want to save a little more on accommodation, as it is easier to find more affordable options there.
It’s no surprise that Montserrat has more hostel options than Microcentro.
For hotels in the traditional model along the lines of good and cheap, try:
- Two Hotel Buenos Aires
- NH City which is very close to Praça de Mayo.
Hostel Tips in Buenos Aires
In the Montserrat region, on both sides of Avenida 9 de Julio, there are the hostels most sought after by visiting Buenos Aires. Among the most recommended are:
- Milhouse Avenue is always very popular, operating in a renovated house on Avenida de Mayo.
- Hostel Estoril is on the same street, almost on Praça do Congresso.
- Art Factory San Telmo is an option a little further away, on the border with the neighboring neighborhood.
Read Also:- 6 Things to do in Cocoa Beach, Florida in 2024
15 Common Travel Scams in 2024 (And How To Avoid Them)
Is it worth staying in the Center of Buenos Aires?
On a first trip, when choosing where to stay in Buenos Aires, many people book their hotel right in the city center. The main advantage is being close to the main tourist attractions, such as Casa Rosada, the Obelisk, Avenida de Mayo and Calle Florida.
If these places are on your itinerary around the city , the center may even be a good option to book your accommodation.
On the downside, the center of Buenos Aires is somewhat crowded and leaves tourists with no options of what to do at dusk, when neighborhoods like Recoleta and Palermo are more attractive.
