Posadas 1086/88,
Buenos Aires,
Argentina
All guests get the royal treatment at the Four Seasons in Buenos Aires, but superlative service goes up a notch in the Mansion. Located across the small garden opposite the tower building, the rose and white three–floor Louis XIII–styled Mansion recalls the elegant era of yesteryear.
© Four Seasons
Being treated like royalty at the Four Seasons Buenos Aires starts with airport pickup. Exiting the air terminal the Four Seasons' sign held by the gentleman in formal black attire lists no names, only the discrete Four Seasons' logo to protect guest's anonymity. The darkened windows on the black Mercedes adds to the mystic. After a refreshing scented towel and a drink of chilled water, you settle back with a magazine for the relaxing drive to the Four Seasons in the center of Buenos Aires.
All the staff at the Four Seasons knows a new and important guest––you––has arrived. A knock on the door and a tray of fruit, chilled water, and a welcome card arrives. Later it is followed by the delivery of a leather portfolio with personalized business cards and notepaper inscribed with the your name indicating you are "…in residence at the Four Seasons Hotel in Buenos Aires."
© Sandra Scott
A welcome telephone call suggests, "Welcome to South America. Relax and enjoy a jetlag foam bath!" More relaxation and rejuvenation are available at the Spa, which offers a full range of massages and treatments based on natural products from mother earth or "pachamama" as it was called during Inca times. Every service is extraordinary, including the nightly chocolate: one night it may be 10–inch tall tango dancers in white and dark chocolate; another night maybe a lighthouse. Some are almost too delightful to eat.
The Four Seasons is a city hotel that has created an oasis in the exclusive La Recoleta district close to business, shopping and cultural activities. Tucked between the tower and the French–style mansion is the garden and pool creating a "secret garden" ambiance and a welcome change of view from the usual city scene.
All of the accommodations are gracious, with a choice of river or garden views, and even the standards boast plush furnishings, marble baths, CD and DVD players, and wi–fi (for a hefty charge). The most discerning guests bypass the tower and opt for one of the seven suites in the Mansion. Mansion guests arrive through the large antique wrought iron gates for private check in. Built in 1916 as a wedding present, the rose and white three–floor Mansion is a Louis XIII–style building. From the red entry carpet to the sweeping marble staircase headed by an exquisite stained glass window, the interior of the Mansion has been restored to its turn
© Sandra Scott
of the century splendor. Marble columns and walls with ornate moldings along with Slovenian oak wainscoting exemplify craftsmanship of the era. The use of antiques, various period pieces, and rich materials enables the Mansion to retain the feel of a luxurious and welcoming residence, with all the modern facilities and amenities required by the discerning traveler.
Four Seasons' guests who want to enjoy a more pastoral experience with the same Four Seasons' service can journey the countryside at the Four Seasons in Carmelo, Uruguay. Staff will arrange transport via the one–hour Buquebus fast ferry or a 15–minute airplane jaunt to the sister hotel on the Rio de la Plata where they can play polo by day and gamble by night.
The other top hotels in Buenos Aires provide formidable competition and this isn't the obvious clear winner it would be in many other cities. Nevertheless, there is little to fault in this well–run Four Seasons outpost and it seldom fails to satisfy worldly–wise frequent travelers.
Review by Sandra Scott.
Web Site: www.fourseasons.com/buenosaires
Total Number of Rooms: 165
Published rates: $350 to $5000
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