Centro (Avenida Corrientes)

Novotel Buenos Aires

★★★★★

Novotel Buenos Aires sits on Avenida Corrientes, the long avenue that is the Broadway of Buenos Aires, lined with theatres, cinemas, pizzerias and old bookshops that stay open late into the night. It is in the heart of the city centre, a few blocks from the Obelisco and the wide Avenida 9 de Julio, about four hundred metres from the Teatro Colón and steps from the Teatro Maipo, with the Congress building, the Plaza de Mayo, Calle Florida and the Galerías Pacífico all within walking distance. For first-time visitors who want to explore on foot and see a show or two, the location is ideal. The hotel is modern and practical in the way the Novotel brand does well. Rooms are superior category throughout, at around twenty-five square metres, larger than many in the centre, with queen or twin beds and space for a third guest in some, which makes them a good fit for small families; children usually stay free in their parents' room under the brand's family policy. The leisure facilities are a real asset in a busy downtown location: there is an indoor pool, so you can swim all year, and a terrace with a second pool and a vertical garden, with a pool bar for summer afternoons. A fitness centre completes the picture. The restaurant, Patio 378, serves breakfast and simple, contemporary Mediterranean dishes, and there is a bar for a drink before or after the theatre. The Retiro railway station is about one and a half kilometres away, and Puerto Madero's restaurants are a similar distance in the other direction, a pleasant walk or a short taxi ride.

Who it suits: families, theatre lovers and first-time visitors who want a modern, well-equipped base in the centre at a fair price, and Accor loyalty members. It is a practical rather than a characterful choice, and the centre is busy and noisy by day and quieter late at night, when the office workers have gone home, though Corrientes itself stays lively with theatre crowds.

Living in it: book a Teatro Colón tour or performance and walk there, have a slice of pizza at one of the historic pizzerias of Corrientes after a show, and use the pool to reset after long walking days. The Subte lines B, C and D all have stations nearby, which makes it easy to reach Palermo, Recoleta and San Telmo. Ask for a higher floor for views and less street noise. As anywhere in the centre, keep phones discreet on busy pavements and take taxis or app rides late at night.

Value: rates are mid-range for Buenos Aires, with the pools, room size and family policy adding real value. Foreign guests paying with a foreign card are generally exempt from VAT on accommodation, so confirm how your rate is quoted.