Rendez-Vous Hotel and Anuva Wines

Because my flight out of Buenos Aires to Santiago, Chile, was scheduled for 6:30am – to coincide with Andreas’ arrival – I decided to spend my last night in Buenos Aires at a hotel. I officially checked out of my lovely studio apartment on calle de Armenia that I’d grown very attached to on my last Friday in Buenos Aires and hopped into a cab for a short ride over to Palermo Hollywood. I had reserved a room two weeks prior to my departure during a fantastic wine tasting with the Portland/Buenos Aires-based wine club Anuva Wines, which was held at the Rendez-Vous Hotel (Bonpland 1484).

Anuva Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires

For those unable to visit Argentina’s wine country, I highly recommend the wine tasting. Our American host Sarah was very knowledgeable with the wines and the food-pairings. Her breadth of information about the different regions in Argentina made me realize that another trip to Argentina is definitely in order. The cost of the tasting for groups of 2 or more is $40USD person, which includes smart food pairings and multiple pours of each of the wines. My favorite wine of the evening: 2005 Mairena Bonarda.

Guess who? Iconic portraits in my room.

I was so taken by the vibrant colors of the chic interior of the boutique hotel during the wine-tasting that I mentioned to our wine host that I was looking to spend my last night at a hotel. She highly recommended the Rendez-Vous Hotel and walked me right over to the front desk to inquire whether a room was available. The friendly woman at the front desk spoke perfect English and informed me that a room was available. For $95USD, I booked myself a standard room in the 11-room boutique hotel, breakfast included. Also offered was a 10% discount if I paid with cash (which I did). The Rendez-Vous Hotel is also in the perfect location, in walking distance to the many amazing restaurants and shop in Palermo Hollywood and Soho.

My room in the Rendez-Vous Hotel.

While I was very sad to leave my apartment, I was looking forward to my last night at the Rendez-Vous Hotel. A little pampering is always a good thing. My room was on the third floor facing calle Bonpland. Each of the rooms in the hotel is unique and was designed by the owner Frédéric DuBois, a former professional dancer in France and Feng-Shui expert. The color green dominated my room, which inspired a calming vibe. The large Victorian-inspired oval windows in the bathroom and bedroom provided the room with plenty of natural light during the day. The room exuded a style and chic-ness without being too overwhelming. I loved it all.

I got to meet the owner Frédéric later in the day after an afternoon of shopping. Over an afternoon cappuccino and croissants, we talked about the overwhelming creative potential of Buenos Aires. The city is brimming with potential, and so it is exceedingly hard for locals to start businesses because cash is king in the city. Those with cash – often foreigners – are the ones buying up real-estate and opening up restaurants and shops in neighborhoods like Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood. Frédéric’s openness about starting his hotel and living in Buenos Aires provided interesting insights into the workings of the city, especially from the prospective of an expatriate. He exudes creative energy that he has put to lovely use in his wonderful hotel. Gay travelers will feel extremely comfortable in the hotel. Maps geared towards gays can be found in the lobby. Frédéric informed me that the hotel will host its first gay-wedding since it became legal to do so in Argentina in the upcoming weeks. Because the hotel only houses 11 rooms, the staff’s attention to each of its patrons is quite apparent. One of the staff members made reservations for me that evening for an ultra-posh restaurant, Tô (more on Tô soon), and Frédéric was extremely accommodating to my needs. When I left at 4am to go to airport, a breakfast was waiting for me in the café area with a freshly brewed café con leche.

Discovering the Rendez-Vous Hotel was definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Buenos Aires. You must stay there to experience how a boutique hotel should be run. It is simply wonderful.