Palo Santo Hotel — Hotel Review | Condé Nast Traveler

"Why book? In trendy Palermo Hollywood, this eco-friendly Buenos Aires retreat with a leafy hidden garden hides in plain view on a quiet street. Set the scene Walking down the mellow street, you might not notice that a boutique hotel lies just beyond the wooden gate. Look up and you’ll see a five-story building, built to LEED standards, with a glass-and-iron façade that supports a 90-foot vertical garden. For access, guests—tattooed, Adidas-wearing, white-haired creatives and Gen-Xers in skinny jeans and black-framed Ray Ban sunglasses—buzz in and enter a small lobby. There’s a tiny splash pool and jacuzzi in the rooftop, which kids will love. The rooms Only two of the 18 rooms are suites, which are located on the top floor and feature separate living and dining areas, plus either an extended private balcony or a private terrace. The rest of the rooms vary slightly in size, but all feature a modern aesthetic of white walls punctuated by colorful canvas art, wooden floors made of a native tree (the palo santo or holy stick), black-out curtains, and sliding doors that open to private balconies. Food and drink The hearty breakfast buffet is included and served in the restaurant on the ground level overlooking the outdoor garden, where some 800 plant species help create a peaceful urban oasis. Charqui, the restaurant, offers a lunch and dinner menu that focuses on Argentine specialties—think empanadas, provoleta, blood sausage croquets, milanesas, grilled meats, pastas and salads. The neighborhood/area The neighborhood takes its name, Palermo Hollywood, from the number of photography studios, film and TV production houses that have taken over the area’s century-old buildings and warehouses. A few blocks from the hotel, close to Plaza Mafalda, is a covered flea market that specializes in antiques and vintage finds—think colorful rotary phones that a Gen Z would love, movie posters, tango classics on vinyl, Royal typewriters, and more. For a leisurely walk or picnic, head to the lovely Japanese Garden , with its koi pond and Cherry Blossom trees. Palo Santo also offers a pair of courtesy bikes to explore the neighborhood. The service The staff, warm and welcoming, is eager to recommend places to shop, eat and drink in the neighborhood and beyond. For families The hotel attracts design-savvy crowd, mostly Americans and Europeans, lots of couples and, increasingly, solo travelers who are keen to take advantage of the favorable exchange rate. For families traveling with older kids or teens, the hotel offers two adjacent rooms that can be closed off from the exterior hall to create a private entry. Eco effort Self-proclaimed as the country’s first urban green hotel, Palo Santo has put environmental practices in place, such as rainwater recovery, energy efficiency in rooms and in its architecture, low emissions and CO2 recovery, and more. Instead of plastic water bottles, rooms come with glass bottles of filtered water that guests can refill in the lobby at their convenience. Anything left to mention? A small gym will soon open on the top floor adjacent to the rooftop pool." - Celeste Moure