Buenos Aires Hotel Guide: Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel & Conv Ctr

Located across from Plaza San Martin, facing Retiro Station and affording sweeping, north-facing views of the plaza and Rio de la Plata beyond, this property earns the honor of largest hotel in Argentina. Befitting its behemoth status, this sprawling Starwood hotel is kept in acceptable condition with almost constant renovations. Size pans out here, too, and the hotel offers the largest hotel fitness center in Buenos Aires. Basic wear and tear is evident, especially in guest-room carpeting, but as it stands, this purpose-built group and convention hotel is a dependable option that sits just below the InterContinental and Marriott Plaza here.

The parade of buses at the entrance gives a hint that this is a mass-market hotel of international mien. The granite-floored lobby enjoys brisk air-conditioning and a multitude of shops and services. Comfortable seating and large-scale artworks are scattered throughout, and at one end is a spacious lounge.

The Sheraton doesn't compete with the more glamorous Alvear or Sofitel hotels when it comes to cuisine, and the best dining is at El Aljibe, where chef Samantha Leske oversees a broad, international menu; the revamped Italian restaurant, Cardinale, is casual but only slightly less expensive. Guests can also grab a quick bite in the bar or beside the pool, and the elegant piano lounge stays open until 1 am.

The large outdoor and children's pools are seasonal, but guests can still take advantage of the indoor pool in June, when temperatures drop. The recently revamped spa offers a bevy of treatments, and active guests enjoy the upgraded gym (overlooking the pool and garden) and two lighted tennis courts. For a change of pace, guests can often reserve seats for Teatro Colon premieres—a feat nigh impossible elsewhere. Some 1,500 delegates can convene in the largest ballroom on the first floor, and smaller meeting rooms are one floor above.

High-speed elevators rise to standard and premium guest quarters, all showing staid contemporary decor in muted earth tones. All boast windows that open, brisk air-conditioning, phones with data ports, TVs, minibars, safes, firm beds with reading lamps, and combination baths with toiletries. Rooms in the -00 to -10 and -30 to -40 series give the best views of Plaza San Martin and Retiro Station, as well as the airport in the distance. Rooms on the executive floors have access to a private lounge with all the expected perks. Smoke-free and wheelchair-accessible rooms are available, and room service runs round-the-clock.

This hotel is a local social center, but individuals are apt to feel like wallflowers in this giant.