San Isidro Plaza

Walking down the quiet, tree-shaded streets of San Isidro, it’s hard to believe you’re just a quick train ride away from the noisy and traffic-congested center of Buenos Aires. For decades this leafy residential suburb has been synonymous with porteño wealth and exclusivity — it’s the kind of place where handsome polo players hang out at sidewalk cafes and socialites walk their dogs by the river, and San Isidro Plaza Hotel perfectly reflects the quiet refinement of the neighborhood.

The owners, in a nod to the locals’ predilections, have aimed to create the atmosphere of a private club. So the hotel has none of the old-fashioned glamour or cutting-edge design of the Buenos Aires hotels; in fact, from the outside, it looks like a contemporary apartment building. Inside, the design is minimalist, with high ceilings, glossy hardwood floors, smooth black leather sofas, oversized white ottomans, polished granite countertops and chrome fixtures. Guest rooms, suites and studios all feature flat-screen LCD televisions, free wi-fi, and views — some face the steeple of the nearby cathedral, others have private balconies where guests can take their morning coffee.

There’s a small swimming pool and a fully stocked ‘health club’ to help guests keep up, or make some kind of attempt at keeping up, with the locals’ high standards of beauty and physical fitness. Forgoing that, there’s also a fashionable bistro downstairs serving dressed-up versions of Argentinian classics like steak and chorizo — not to mention the myriad fine dining institutions of San Isidro itself, all within walking distance of the hotel.