FranandJim

We will be in Argentina for 2 weeks in February and want to include a 3 day trip to Mendoza. Should we book our trip before we leave the US or can we do it after we arrive in Buenos Aires?

Any suggestions on Mendoza hotels and/or local travel agents. Thanks.

be_linda

The best hotel in Mendoza is The Park Hyatt.I've stayed there in June.The best restaurant is the Park Hyatt's restaurant (very good) and the 1884 restaurant.

Lyndie

Bodegas Escorihuela (Winery) has a fabulous restaurant called Frances Mallmann 1880. I think this is the one previous poster is referring to. The food and wine are so good and the modern tango music they play there is delicious! We had a loooong lunch there in Sept 04 and some people we met flew in from Santiago just for the lunch. Also fab Italian food at Trevi at Las Heras 68 & parilla at La Florencia cnr Peru & Sarmiento is also very good. Why do you need a travel agent? Book a flight on www.sw.com.ar and get a taxi to the hotel. Turn up at the winery at 10 or 11 for a tour then eat lunch at 1880 and get a taxi back to your hotel & chill-out! Mendoza is a lovely place to relax! Good luck.

Lyndie

Sorry-my partner has just informed me the Frances Mallmann restaurant at Escorihuela Winery is indeed 1884 not 1880. Got it confused with the Parilla in BsAs. Sorry!

ChatNoir77

Mendoza is a gem of a small city! Recently stayed at a wonderful Bed and Breakfast called LA PLAZA ITALIA. The location was excellent and the hosts were lovely and helpful. Might add that our best meal was at LA MARCHIGANA. (Av. Espana). Around Peru and Sarmiento (LA FLORENCIA) they are several good, inexpensive places to eat - and just up the street there are two wonderful gelaterias. Enjoy!

Graziella5b

Hi, we stayed in the Haytt which is a very nice hotel, in the site where there was an old classic the Plaza.
Cintia from Wow made the arrangements for us, they work with a marvelous network of local guides who took us to an unforgetable visit to the local bodegas.
We also were taken by car through the Andes to Santiago and had a nice short stay in Chile.
This trip was very exciting.

milla

it is impossible to mention all the nice places you can visit in Mendoza and there is no one hotel where you will be ok. There are excellent b and b in comfortable houses in residential areas which will give you an excellent oportunity to interact with the locals.
Hotel Aconcagua is an exc hotel and it is quite affordable. Not in the city, there are what they call Fincas, where you can stay in estancias or wineyard That is especially designed for the ones who want a quiet stay. Mendoza offers lots of excursion, for people who like visiting the diff. areas and the city and for the ones who like adventure rafting or climbing or what not. Where ever you go you are for a good stay but try to allocate your time as 3 days is a short time. Stay in the city then and book these ones.
- city tour wineyard
- Villavicencio excursion
- Aconcagua full day excursion

regards

Graziella5b

Hi, there are a number of new small hotels which are very nice and very inexpensive. Among others I recommended "dollar-wise" Urbana suites. Well located, brand new, in a plasant modern style, it features suites and includes breakfast in the rate. Our suite for two had a king bed, cable, ac, excellent sheets ( Towels onthe other hand could have been better)it was in essence a large big room plus a bathroom. The good thing was it had a large balcony and being in the 4 th floor the view was the green of the tree tops. <(The trees are moreas or in other words the trees whose leaves are feeded to the silk warms. ) the suite had a well equiped mini bar, a hot plate, and a microwave. We did not use any of these because there are plenty of restaurants all over Mendoza with good and inexpensive food.
www.urbanasuites.com.ar

Graziella5b

In the newspaper "La Nacion"there were adds for packages at reasonable prices, three nights at the Hyatt plus air ticket plus some excursions plus transfers were quoted at aprox 1200 Argentinean pesos per person. At other hotels it was quoted aprox 700 Argentine pesos including all taxes in both cases.
I think that the best is to book ahead the trip with an Argentine travel agency such us wowargentina.com

EPC

How is the Cavas Wine Lodge? Anybody stay there?

Graziella5b

It is expensive but worth every penny. It is a very up scale place yet with a casual air about it. It is located some 30 minutes from the city, but they pick you up at Mendoza 's airport. Surrounded by wineyards all rooms have a commanding view over the vineyards with the snowed ANDES a at the back as a stage curtain. The sunsets are unforgetable, the singing of the birds, the peace, and the great wines they have in their cave !!! I said rooms but actually each room is like a separated little unit, very nicely decorated all have the same view and a private pool. But there is also a big pool for those who wish to socialize. The owners are extremely helpful, and warm and they can organize all kind of visits to wineries or different activities. We stayed only one night because we did not had more time but are planing to come back this year.
In their web site you can see a picture of the rooms and different areas. Indeed it is a very classy place.
www.cavaswinelodge.com

EPC

Thank you so much for the reply on Cavas wine Lodge. They do seem very helpful I am just put off a bit by the rooms. They look so desolate in the photos and everyone raves about the luxury of the Park Hyatt. Is the Cavas Wine Lodge as upscale as the prices?

Graziella5b

Hi EPC, two totally different things, one is a hotel in downtown Mendoza. Very nice, nice rooms , very nice bathrooms.
I do not understand what to you mean by" desolated Cavas ' accomodations " ?, I experienced a lot of feelings while there but that , as I said the suites are like independent units with the most fantastic view over vineyards and the mighty snowed hugh Andes,each unit has its own private pool, and lots of privacy.The decoration is elegant, functional and done in excellent taste. Good pluffy towels, good toileteries,
turn down service,...they really pamper you.
We had breakfast in the room., mmm.... delicous.. ...home made breads,organic frutis from their own orchard...etc. Of course you are in the country side, in the silence of the night you can hear the characteristic cricket sounds and the like , in the morning the birds singing...everything is very relaxed, great service...and speaking of luxury, the spa was exactly that.
I loved it.

Graziella5b

Hi EPC, after I wrote my previous posting I cheched the pictures of the rooms in their website. The first picture shows one of the suites, you can see the private pool, and the little terrace . THe picture of the room is missing its most outstanting feature: the fantastic view , further more I guess you are right the picture does not shows properly how nice everything is inside.
We are planing to return because we really liked it and we wish to visit some of the nearby vineyards, play some golf and do a little more outdoors activities.

EPC

Graziella5B.....thank you so much for your response. I appreciate your telling me how wonderful it is. We are looking for exactly that...some peace and quiet, spa, nice views, good food and wine. Did you do any of the activities like white water rafting, horse back riding or hiking? Did you go on any day tour kind of things?
Thanks again!

Graziella5b

EPC,

We were there only for a day, we are going this year for two or three days and plan to be more active...so I cannot tell you anything YET...
If you send a mail to CAVAS I am sure they will answer all your questions( they reply promptly). Good luck.

alpal

EPC: if you have gone to cavas wine lodge already, would you post a report. We'd like to go in a few months and am very interested in it. Also, if you found horseback riding or other outdoor adventures nearby, that info would be most appreciated.

ecnill

Graziella5b: could you share teh information about the car that drove you from Mendoza to Santiago? We are interested in doing the same.

Thanks!

Graziella5b

ecnill, hi, I am in South America right now, soon we shall go to Mendoza staying in Cavas. I am also looking forward to EPC's report because it is nice to know what other people think and if she agrees with us. I am sure she will agree with me because Cavas is awfully nice and the owners are very charming and extremely helpful. They provide a lot of information .
When we crossed the Andes by chauffered car it was part of several services Wow organized for us. So I do not recall how much it was. Crossing by bus it is of course much, much cheaper and not bad at all.I crossed from Puerto Varas, Chile to Bariloche it was only 15 dollars and the bus ride was smooth , the vehicule spotless with ac etc. Very nice ride.Good chauffer.
If I go again to Chile from Mendoza I might choose the bus this time.

alpal

graziella: I hope you will post your report on cavas too! We will be there in winter and I know it will be different but am looking forward to your perspective.