There is no greater neighbourhood in Buenos Aires than that of Palmero Soho. Just shy of a five star rating on Tripadvisor, most of the cities’ natives live in this spot as it has countless cafés, restaurants, nightclubs, parks, museums, galleries, high end shops and markets.
A sub barrio of Palermo Viejo, you can find Spanish houses and converted warehouses amidst cobblestone streets that are lined with trees, wandering tourists, the odd well known artist or designer and the coolest of natives in their alt-chic dress and attitude.
Given the attitude of this neighbourhood, we were expecting something special and unique from our hotel and we received just that when we arrived at 1555 Malabia House. You only have to check out its numerous awards to see what we mean.
Upon entry, you notice the striking reformation of the building, which was once a convent. Streams of natural light flood the hotel, giving it an open, welcoming, bright feel to it. Guests of this hotel are positioned in a premier boutique hotel whereby everything and anything they wish to see in Buenos Aires is no more than seven or eight blocks away.
The staff make you feel instantly at home, most notably Sebastian and the hostess, both of who learned our names as quickly as possible and instantly befriended us. After our most welcoming introduction to the place, we ventured about to get a real feel of what we were to experience.
Walking past reception, we were greeted with an incredibly comfortable looking, contemporary living room which had large, soft couches, a flat screen TV and dark oak bookshelf complemented with soft spot lighting and lamps. This spot was a great place to put our feet up after a long day of work and sightseeing.
Upstairs, we were pleasantly surprised to find a quiet office room complete with comfy chairs, a desk and super fast Wi-Fi, which of course was of paramount benefit to us. As for our bedroom, we appreciated the individual air conditioning, lovely beds, high-rise ceilings and French doors that opened up into the main hallway.
As for facilities, the hotel had a few touches that really made it stand out from the rest. Imagine awakening at four o’clock in the morning, or awakening at twelve noon, browsing through the hotel’s multi-language library to pick up something to read and sitting yourself down to find that you are not too early nor too late for breakfast. The hotel staff and management are kind enough to cater towards your hours, as this Tripadvisor reviewer describes here.
The breakfast served is typically Argentinian: breads, pastries, coffee, juices, cereals, fruit salads and eggs upon request. It was delicious and was exactly what we needed on each morning of our stay. Other facilities included individual heating in the rooms, transfers to airports and a twenty-four hour concierge.
Check out the hotel’s website and its reviews on Tripadvisor for more information – that’s if we haven’t managed to persuade you to stay at this beautiful hotel already!
Malabia House is one of the leading boutique hotels in Buenos Aires and it really sets the example for its own kind, yet it still manages to retain its charm of originality and welcoming service that not many hotel chains can provide. It’s so much more interesting and appealing in comparison to some of the cold and uninviting hotels where guests are treated like a number.
