The Hilton BA is a fine new hotel (built 2001 and featured in Fabian Bielinsky’s excellent film, Nueve Reinas). Our welcome could not have been better. Our room on the 8th floor afforded access to the executive club albeit one without a fine view of the Puerto Madero area. The staff was brilliant as they whisked us to the 10th floor for check in and delivered our luggage. Our room was fine but with two minor problems: the closet/wardrobe was poky viz. small and a little crowded even for two. In contrast, bathroom was fairly spacious, albeit with full length frosted glass doors separating the toilet area and the shower from the washbasin area. So, the room sharers have to know one another very well! Even so … Also, when we closed the thick window curtain, it came off the hooks 2-3 times.

The Hilton swimming pool was an excellent place to spend Christmas Day preceded by a fine (free) concert of opera arias in the Hilton foyer. (The local bourgeoisie paid 360 pesos a head for a fine dinner.) Sometimes, the area round the pools can be a tad windy in late December. The food available for breakfast in the executive club was Ok but sometimes the staff was a little overwhelmed by the volume of guests.

We did not try the Hilton restaurant largely because there are plenty of fine restaurants in the surrounding area. I read somewhere that Puerto Madero was like Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. Nothing could be further from the truth! Puerto Madero is far from being tacky. No US chain restaurants!

Fears of being mugged or whatever, should not deter you from walking beyond the immediate modern Puerto Madero area or even to the Playa Mayo and Casa Rosado or even the shopping area round Calle Florida. The barrio must be one of the safest areas of Bs As but, as in any major city, just keep your wits about you.

Other tips:
• Taxis are cheap, but look out for ones with the driver’s window shut i.e. they have AC. Some taxis are just pieces of junk and some drivers are hair–raising. Once you get in, make sure the driver turns on the meter and if he does not, point to the meter and ensure that it goes on (at about 3.10 pesos).
• Arriving at EZE after a long flight from London via Sao Paulo on TAM (the very good Brasilian airline), we heeded the warnings of others about unlicensed taxies and took a remise to the hotel – more expensive (113 pesos) but safer, particularly after a long flight. Just go to the Manuel Leon desk to the left after baggage claim and pay in advance by credit card. You can even make your reservation on the net from home. (It did not take my credit card but they answered email and I received a confirmation number, which was honoured when we arrived. There are other remise operators that are probably just as good). As we became used to the city, however, we asked the hotel to get us taxis, which were almost always fine and cheaper.
• Places to eat: after arrival we had a late lunch at Los Gauchos on the water front/Hilton side, 5 minutes walk from the hotel. 233 pesos for 3, including a fine bottle of Ruca Malen Malbec 2005. The bife de chorizo was excellent, especially with espinacas la crema. Next evening, we had an excellent Italian dinner at Marcello, on the other side of the canal; then, the next day, lunch at Don Julio’s (corner of Gurrachaga and Guatemala in Palermo). Did not have a bad meal in Buenos Aires over 8 days!
Buenos Aires is a great city; the portenos are very warm, and the pace of life is much slower. But, expect hassles: queuing to use the ATMs, especially on a Monday morning. Indeed, anything to do with banks is a nightmare. There is a limit to cash withdrawals, but you can insert your card several times if you need more than 300 pesos. If you are used to using a credit card all the time, getting re-used to cash in Argentina is a real pain; but most restaurants take cards.

Be sure to visit San Telmo, especially at the weekends. Again, be careful, although not necessarily fearful. Be sure to go to the Playa Dorego on Sunday afternoon where you can hope to see an excellent tango demo con passione. For us, this performance in the scorching afternoon sun was better than the drama/tango performance for tourists at the Café Tortoni at Avenida de Mayo 825. You can also pick up nice tango photos and other souvenirs at the numerous craft/artisan and antique stalls. You might have to wait more than half an hour at one of the bars/restaurants for a drink!

Also take the buquebus to Colonia – an eighteenth century town with cobbled streets and a few antique cars across the Rio Plate in Uruguay – 50-60 minutes each way on the rapido, but book in advance if you do not want to pay the $80US round trip first class fare.

Further afield, go to Mendoza/the Andes and Iguazu Falls on the Brasil/Paraguay, Argentina border.