ALVEAR PALACE HOTEL

The Argentine capital's refined district of Recoleta is home to the grand Alvear Palace Hotel. Since 1932, the Palace's 85 guestrooms and 125 suites have welcomed kings, emperors and the stars of stage and screen with Belle Époque architecture, Louis XVI detailing, gracious hospitality and now the most advanced technology. Every palace room is sumptuously decorated with attention to every detail: Empire and Louis XI style furniture, working desk, smart telephones, Frette Egyptian cotton linen, Hermes de Paris toiletries and 24-hour butler service. For breakfast, lunch and especially for the Alvear Tea, seek out the airy ; yet grand ; L'Orangerie and its gorgeous adjacent Jardin d'Hiver. At the cocktail hour, the "fin de siècle" Lobby Bar is Buenos Aires' favored meeting place to sip single malt whiskeys and fine cognac. Then, dine at La Bourgogne, where the famous Relais Gourmand Chef Jean Paul Bondoux tends to the finest French cuisine in town.