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In 1920, the Argentine publisher Editorial Kapelusz commissioned Hungarian architect Johannes Kronfuss to design its headquarters. Krofuss's dramatic, Art Deco edifice was declared patrimonio nacional - roughly equivalent to a listed building - but by the late 1990s it had fallen into ruin along with much of the Monserrat district. In 2006, local developers began to convert the building into a 39-room, design-minded hotel. Kronfuss's fluted-stone exterior scales seven floors, its entrance hall is dramatically tiled in shades of turquoise and sunflower, and a venerable, concertina-gated elevator still clunks delightfully past stained-glass wall panels. Rooms vary greatly in size, but all have soaring, four-metre-high ceilings and abundant natural light from expansive, iron-framed windows. Acrylic-and-wood furniture in the Art Deco style, upholstered in sea-green, is set off by white drapes, interior-lit, opaque-glass cupboards, and paintwork in chocolate, burgundy and ultramarine. Service extras are extensive - although the staff may forget to explain what's on offer - and include a pillow menu and mobile-phone rental, babysitters, personal trainers and masseurs on request. Guests can also choose the contents of their mini-bar, borrow a laptop, or hire an in-room barman for a private party.
WHEN TO GO
Avoid the sweltering summer months of January and February.
ROOM TO BOOK
Room 48 for its view of the Basílica de San Francisco, built in 1754.
Moreno 376, Buenos Aires (00 54 11 6091 2000; www.morenobuenosaires.com). Doubles from US$116; room 48 from US$188
Find out more about Buenos Aires in our city guide |
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