San Telmo

Patios de San Telmo

★★★★★

Patios de San Telmo is the hotel for travellers who want to wake up in the old Buenos Aires. San Telmo is the city's oldest barrio, a grid of cobbled streets and low colonial and nineteenth-century houses south of Plaza de Mayo, and after a yellow fever epidemic in 1871 drove its wealthy families north, many of its grand houses were divided into conventillos, the crowded tenements of the immigrant city, built around long internal patios. This hotel occupies one of those historic buildings, restored with care, and its name refers to its defining feature: rooms opening onto a series of open-air patios, filled with light and plants, that give the place the feel of a traditional casa chorizo, the long, narrow porteño house built around courtyards. Original details such as high ceilings, tall wooden doors and tiled floors have been kept, combined with contemporary comforts. Rooms vary in size and character, from simple doubles to larger rooms and suites, decorated with warm colours and local art. Up top, a rooftop terrace with views over the San Telmo rooftops and church towers is a lovely place for a drink at sunset, and the hotel has an outdoor pool and a garden, a welcome luxury in this dense neighbourhood. The location is the main event. The Sunday fair on Calle Defensa and Plaza Dorrego, the Mercado de San Telmo, the antique shops and the barrio's traditional bars and bodegones are a few minutes' walk away, and San Telmo is the best neighbourhood in the city for tango, with milongas, dinner shows and dancing in Plaza Dorrego on Sunday evenings. Plaza de Mayo and the Casa Rosada are about fifteen minutes on foot, and Puerto Madero and the riverside are close.

Who it suits: tango lovers, history buffs and travellers who prefer character to polish, especially on a mid-range budget. It is a natural base for a Sunday in town, for exploring the historic centre on foot and for nights out at San Telmo's tango venues. It is less ideal for travellers who want to be close to Palermo's restaurant scene or the elegance of Recoleta, both a twenty- to thirty-minute taxi ride away, and for those who need full hotel services. San Telmo is lively by day and around its bars at night, but some side streets are very quiet after dark, so take a taxi or rideshare late in the evening.

Living in it: ask for a room facing an inner patio rather than the street, which will be quieter, and spend a sunset on the rooftop terrace. In summer, the pool is a real bonus after a day of walking. The staff can point you to the best local milongas and bodegones and help book tango shows. On Sunday, step straight out into the fair in the late morning and come back to rest before an evening of dancing in Plaza Dorrego.

Value: rates are mid-range and generally good value for the character, space and facilities on offer, particularly compared with similar boutique hotels in Palermo. Foreign guests paying with a foreign card are generally exempt from VAT on accommodation. For an authentic, atmospheric base in the oldest part of the city, it is an excellent choice.