Retiro

Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel and Convention Center

★★★★★

The Sheraton Buenos Aires is one of the city's landmark hotels, a large modern tower on Calle San Martín in Retiro, rising above the green slopes of Plaza San Martín and the Torre Monumental, with views across the port to the Río de la Plata. It is a full-service hotel and convention centre, popular with business travellers during the week and with families and tour groups at weekends, and it delivers the predictable comfort that makes it easy to settle into a big city. Rooms are spacious by local standards, with soundproofed windows and marble bathrooms, and the top categories have views over the city and the river; club-level rooms and suites give access to the Club Lounge. The facilities are extensive. There is an indoor pool in the fitness centre, which has a massage room, and a seasonal outdoor pool in the gardens for summer, both free for guests, plus paddle courts. Dining options include Buono Italian Kitchen, a Mediterranean restaurant serving breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, the Doce25 lobby bar and its grab-and-go counter, a summer terrace bar, and a food truck with a weekly menu that includes vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. At weekends, a kids club keeps younger guests busy through the day, which is rare in the city's hotels. Pets are welcome for a fee, and parking is available on site. The location is very practical: the Retiro train and bus stations, the Plaza San Martín, the Kavanagh building and the pedestrian Calle Florida are all within a few minutes' walk, Recoleta is around fifteen minutes on foot, and Aeroparque, the domestic airport, is a short drive away.

Who it suits: families who want pools, space and a kids club, travellers using Aeroparque or the Retiro stations for onward trips, Marriott Bonvoy members, and anyone who values a big, predictable hotel over boutique charm. It is less atmospheric than the boutique hotels of Palermo and San Telmo, and its size means it can feel busy during conventions, but the facilities are among the best at this price level.

Living in it: ask for a high floor with river views, use the outdoor pool on summer afternoons, and walk through Plaza San Martín and its giant trees to start a day in Recoleta or along Calle Florida. The Retiro area is busy by day; after dark, stay on the main avenues and take taxis or app rides for longer journeys, and avoid the area immediately around the bus terminal at night. Members who book direct get free Wi-Fi, so join the loyalty programme before you book.

Value: rates are mid- to upper-mid-range, with weekend and family offers that can be very good value given the pools and the kids club. Parking is charged by the hour, day or week. Foreign guests paying with a foreign card are generally exempt from VAT on accommodation.