Mansion Vitraux — Hotel in Autonomous City of Buenos Aires

This boutique luxury hotel has the requisite wow factor from clever interior design.

The place looks amazing: from the chic foyer to the three storey atrium to the cleverly juxtaposed textures  (stone, wood, marble, glass).

Our room on the first floor was as beautiful as the common areas. The only adornment on the plain walls was a life size cutout of Josephine Baker which delivered just the right amount of quirkiness. The ceiling is a traditional 19th century style of exposed beams and brick. He lighting is well thought out and there are electric blinds.

The bathroom has floor to ceiling mirrors on every wall and a freestanding bath over which a rainfall shower head hovers. The basin is a contemporary square pedestal.

While everything looked fabulous we discovered that some of the time function had been sacrificed for form. The overbath shower head was the perfect height for anyone 160 cm or less but anyone  taller has to bend over to get under the stream of water.

There were no hooks (for toiletry bags or clothes) and the freestanding towel rail wasn't within easy reach of the shower.

Getting in and out of the shower meant clambering over the high sides of the deep bath.

There was nowhere close to hand to put soap or shampoo while showering.

The dining area has high marble tables with swivelling stools. The stools have such good bearings that it can be hard to stay still.

Pros Great location in San Telmo near antiques markets. Helpful English speaking staff. Free WiFi. Comfortable firm king size bed. Sofa in room. Nespresso machine in room. Lift.

Cons Shower head too low for anyone taller than 160 cm. Nowhere for soap etc at shower end of bath. Air conditioning is centrally controlled despite presence of control pad which simply opens room vent. No fridge in room (there is a self serve minibar...

My worst hotel experience in five months of travel in Argentina! It looks design but you quickly understand why it's "cheap"! The pictures must have been taken years ago because today nothing is right... Most of the rooms have no windows, the windows look out onto the corridor... no natural light and no privacy. I received the first night a room with a strong musty smell, full of mosquitoes and I discovered that the whole ceiling is full of merula (a fungus). Two lights were not working and the tap was running. On the second night, one of the receptionists was also on the phone with a friend all night keeping several guests awake. He was vulgar, refused to apologise and after insisting, we were finally refunded our night's stay.

The pool downstairs is tiny, dark and gloomy. There is no breakfast... the outdoor area on the roof seems to have been abandoned for a long time.

The place is no longer Mansion Vitraux but Boutique Bar and no doubt since the takeover/name change no investment has been made in the hotel. You only have to look at the front door to understand the...

Was in BA for a transfer from Aeroparque to Ezeiza with a 13 hours layover. Arrived at 1am, was expected and welcomed efficiently. The room blew me away, modern with the original brick high ceiling. In the morning, I did get that some people were not happy about the lack of daylight. My room,104, had a window into a very small patio with all the rooms giving on it, so you don't want to open the curtain unless you are ready. Although I saw two rooms that had only a very small window into the hallway (so unless you just come back at night could be a problem for some people). The bathroom with the huge rainshower was very nice. Breakfast was amazing, ample choice, very fresh. would definitely stay there again...