First, some context. I stayed at this place in Alto Palermo for nearly the entire month of January. It was my first time in BA, but I wasn't here for tourism, so I can't say whether or not this is the best apartment if you're going to BA for a short stay and want to see and do all the things. That said, I didn't have any trouble getting around and it seemed very well located.
It's the little thoughtful touches that really set a place apart. How wonderful to enter your new apartment for the month and to see a bouquet of flowers on the table, along with a tin of popcorn and a bottle of red wine! It was also very nice that the kitchen was stocked with basics: milk, cereal, tostadas, jam, tea, coffee, oil, sugar, salt, and more. The apartment in general was well-provisioned: it had plenty of garbage bags, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, etc.
As you can imagine from those thoughtful touches, my hosts were very attentive. They made me feel like no question or concern of mine was too small to merit their attention. If I needed to know something, I could send them a message on Airbnb and I would always get a response within the day.
Pros:
- Great hosts! Really great hosts
- Lots of cafes and businesses (even a shopping mall), and a subway line within walking distance
- Lots of green space nearby, really close to the Botanical Garden, which is lovely
- I thought the layout of the apartment was really nice
- Friendly bakery 7 floors down, on the ground floor. I ate so many croissants with dulce de leche!
- Orange press in the kitchen. I drank fresh squeezed orange juice everyday :)
- All the kitchen utensils you need to make your own meals
- Espresso machine with milk steamer. I used this a lot, too.
- A/C (important in summer!)
- Big balcony, lots of sunlight
- Fast, reliable WiFi
- Big flatscreen TV with Netflix
- Window shutter in the bedroom that can block out the sunlight 100% (or very close to 100%)
Cons:
- No washing machine in the building. This means you have to take your laundry to a wash-and-fold down the street. Fortunately, it's not too far. But just something to know.
- Construction noise. I don't know if it was just my luck, or if this is just the nature of the city, but it seemed that every week I was there, there was construction noise.
- Couch and bed pillows were not the most comfortable, although the couch is pretty cool, so maybe it gets a free pass :-)
- The apartment faces the street (as opposed to being in the back of the building) so this, along with the balcony that runs the length of the apartment, means that you get some street noise, especially if you open the sliding door to the balcony (but even if you close it shut, noise still gets in).
I'd like to clarify my last point about noise. If you are looking for absolute silence, the kind in which the only thing you can hear is the sound of your own breath, this is not the apartment for you. That said, I really don't want to give the impression that this is a particularly noisy apartment. It's not. I think especially for Buenos Aires, which is a pretty dense city, this is actually one of the quieter apartments. I'm just particularly sensitive to noise, so I decided to add this detail for those who are also particularly sensitive to noise.
Would I recommend this apartment to a friend? Absolutely! 10/10. Because I know that with these hosts, my friend would be well taken care of. I've done more than a few airbnbs at this point. They really went the extra mile. I really enjoyed that apartment. And so I will end this review with gratitude and thanks.