I have quickly looked at the site www.bytargentina.com and liked few apartments for 1 week stay : in Puerto Madero http://www.bytargentina.com/re/propv...p;ano_sal=2007

in Palermo http://www.bytargentina.com/re/propv...p;ano_sal=2007

or is it better to stay in Recolleta and Barrio Norte area.

I am also considering Wilton Palace.

Thank you

Forgot to mention, this is for 2 adults ages 50 and 60 who are active travellers.

Of the two apartment locations, I would personally choose the Scalabrini Ortiz one in Palermo. Puerto Madero does not have same neighbourhood feeling and character. Plus I do not really find it convenient.

I have stayed in Barrio Norte and Palermo,Recoleta and in the Plaza San Martine area.. My personal preference was Palermo with Barrio Norte second. I also see advantages of the Plaza san martine area, especially for a first time visitor and a short stay. I guess I am not one of those who is that overly enamoured with Recoleta.

I have friends who stayed at the Wilton and liked the hotel and found the location to be excellent for a tourist.

So now you have to also decide whether you want the extra little things a hotel will give you as opposed to an apartment - like someone to call cabs for you and give you tourist maps and other information, plus often a better chance of interacting with other tourists....

raquel

raquel,

thank you so much for your recommendation. while I was waiting fo replies I made a request for this place for 8 nights.

http://www.bytargentina.com/re/propv...p;ano_sal=2007

is it a good choice?

PS we never rented apartments on vacations, I hope it is a good agency.

I personally know 2 people who have rented from BYT and both were very satisfied. They normally get good reviews - although there was one case reported on Trip Advisor where someone had a problem with counterfeit money..

I personally like being near Santa Fe (but not actually on it) because there are lots of transportation options as well as shops, restaurants and anything else you might need.

The only issue could be that Santa Fe is a very busy street - traffic, buses people... Therefore, if the apartment is facing the street, it could be noisy.

Out of curiosity, when are you going? One of the reasons I am asking is that you may be paying a bit of a premium for a swimming pool - which you may or may not use, depending on the season you are there.

I rented an apartment for the first time last year and probably never would have had the nerve to do it had I not read so much about the advantages from various forums.

raquel,

my parents will be in BA from Mar 21 to 29.
so, this last apartment has disadvantage if it faces the street? because it may be noisy. right? and if not - is it a good deal, place?

Hopefully someone else will chime in here too. I am in your parents' age bracket. I do speak some Spanish and had visited bs As several times before I made the decison to rent an apartment. For my travel style, the location is great. I walk alot, take the subte and buses when convenient and cabs when it makes sense. The apartment looks very nice. It has everything they could ever need (and probably more) Since it is on the 8th floor, that would probably mitigate any street noise anyway. I personally am not really sensitive to that kind of stuff in the first place, but some people are, so that's why I mentioned it. As to it being a good deal, I guess it is all relative. The price is right. You may be able to find an apartment for less or a larger apartment for a similar price. But trust me - after researching apartments I found that if you find one that you think you like and has everything you want and it is available - grab it. The more you dwell on it, you will find that so many of the apartments will seem have something that you can build into a "tragic flaw" in your mind.. or else "the perfect apartment" will be gone by the time you make your decision.

Good luck
raquel

Hi
I am the one who will find every flaw in a rental apt, lol. so take what I say with a grain of salt.
Also- we are moving to BsAs in April and I am researching a short term rental to stay in while we look for an apt to buy. So I have seen most of these already.

The apt in Palermo does not even have a proper sofa, that is a futon. I find that cheapness in furnishing a place very annoying. It is not that cheap a rent to not have a proper sofa to relax on after a day of sightseeing.

That apt ion Sta Fe is only 355 sq ft. It is smaller than most hotel suites. And I vowed when I was there that I would not ever live on Sta Fe, it is so busy and noisy. An apt in the back might be better but there are so many that are on quieter streets.

I would not stay in Puerto Madero just because you have to travel farther to get to neighborhoods where you can walk around.
And after an afternoon walking around there, you have mostly seen it all.
Go there for a day, lunch or dinner but you don't want to stay there..( I am SO opinionated!)
I agree with raquel, Palermo and Barrio Norte are great neighborhoods , we are looking in Recoleta for our apt..
Now- tell your mom and dad to look www.artsuites.com.ar
This is an apart/hotel. you get a large suite, balcony, tiny kitchen, real bedroom and nice bathroom with a 24 hour concierge and security as well as being in a really nice spot in a nice neighborhood.
Good luck!

http://www.argentinahomes.com/props....t=3&sec=t1

Good selection of listings here too.

I do agree with Scarlett about the size. My choice once I am renting an apartment, would be a one bedroom at least 40 square metres. However, for a week, it could be fine. That is why I hoped someone else would chime in. Since I am a more "budget" or moderate price traveler, I often end up in hotel rooms that are pretty tiny..
I also do not really like Puerto Madero.

raquel

Realize you have already booked an apartment, but just thought I would addres your Wilton Palace consideration in case others want a hotel. Have stayed there 3 different times with good rooms every time. It is not fancy, but the location is great both for walking and getting taxis. There is plenty of shopping on Santa Fe as well as an enclosed ATM directly across the street from the hotel. Breakfast was included in the rate, and it was ample for us, but some guests complained it wasn't a "hot" breakfast. The staff is mostly bilingual and very helpful for getting radio taxis, restaurant recommendations etc. Also they had a small business center with free internet access, but they were remodeling a room to make a larger center. There were only 3 computers last fall. It was reasonably priced with a discount given with reservation through a TA. Would stay there again unless it was long enough stay for an apartment. Have used apartments in other countries. Palermo will be much more convenient for tourist attractions than Puerto Madero, and many things are within an easy walk. It is a beautiful city for walking so have comfortable shoes and enjoy!

I actually booked that apartment already? I thought I made a request since they do not ask for payment immedeately.

now I am getting sad. did I do a misservice to my parents by convincing them to go with this apartment (((

how can I find out whether it faces the Santa Fe st? About size - we think it is ok. The question is more about the convinient location and being able to sleep at night without street noise.

raquel, Scarlett and CollegeMom thank you for your thoughtful inputs.

comparing the price for 8 days - this Santa Fe apt is about $400 vs Wilton Palace $760 (from expedia). that is why I thought it is a good deal.

manika,
I don't think you should be sad. The location is very convenient and will end up being at a minimum half the price of any hotel.

You can try to ask BYT about how it faces. I do not think it is a "done deal" until you give them your credit card number. When I was looking for my apartment, I did contact them with questions and they were quite good to respond. The main reason I ended up renting from another company was that the apartment I finally decided would meet my needs ended up being booked for the first few days of my stay by the time I was ready to commit.

raquel

Yes, just call or email ByT and ask them if it is at the front. From the photo of the balcony, I think it might be in the back.

Keep looking at other apts and other apt rental sites..
Try this too, if you have not already:
www.apartmentsba.com

frente o contrafrente? That is the question....front or rear facing? Since it is on the 8th floor, the noise will not be as bad as on the first floor even if it does face Santa Fe.....

I am in the same age group as your parents...I have stayed in Buenos Aires many times....always have a great time! They will too.....

I just came back from Buenos Aires in January. I would caution you if you are thinking about using ByT Argentina for an apartment.

Awful apartment and customer service from ByT Argentina. We did not have a working toilet and any bath towels for the first 3 days. ByT did not answer their emergency phone for 2 days (Sat and Sun) and when they picked up the phone on Mon. the toilet didn't get fixed until Tues., which was the last day of our 4 night stay. Based on my experience, if you have any problems with your rental you will be on your own. I DO NOT recommend the apartment (Junin and Av. Las Heras II) or ByT Argentina. Better to find another more reputable agency who will actually screen their properties and provide good customer service. Once they got our money they did not care about what happened.

Any other comments which might be useful for forum members about your experience in BA, globetravel?

Was the food good, were the locals nice, was it very warm????????????

Well.. I've rented from ByT a number of times.. all with great experiences... even when I had a delayed internal flight and arrived back to Buenos Aires from Cordoba at MIDNIGHT -- I was able to check out of my apartment with no issues.. when I was supposed to check out hours earlier.

It's odd -- but someone posted an almost identical post with the same problems with a DIFFERENT agency over on another forum.