Estancia La Bamba de Areco - Relais & Chateaux - — Hotel in Buenos Aires

Call me shallow but I did enjoy being met at the end of the drive by a Gaucho on horseback and the staff ready with cool towels. This was our first stop on a tour of Argentina and did not disappoint. I couldn't think of any where better to recover from a long journey from the UK.|The place is designed exquisitely inside and out. Owned by a wealthy Frenchman with his own Polo team and it shows. They have won The Cowdrey Cup several times. I agree with a previous review that wifi is not available throughout, however I can't help think it makes a stay better for this. Bedrooms are beautiful with air con ( not every Estancia has this ) which was very welcome as Argentina was experiencing a heatwave when we were there and it was necessary to keep windows shut. Yes we did experience some mosquitos, there is repellant everywhere but if you are susceptible do bring your own with deet. Meals are taken together something I would normally avoid like the plague but it somehow worked, we met some lovely interesting people. Everything is included which is fabulous don't worry no wristbands! Lunch is served Asado style with great salads and meat. Do try the sweetbreads. lunch finishes with a Dulce de leche pancake, on my third day I couldn't have eaten another one so had fabulous ice cream instead. The Argentinians have a very sweet tooth. Dinner is served in one sitting in the main house at approx 8pm. Breakfast on the terrace of another building as and when you would like. This was delicious. I can only describe it as like being at a very smart country house party weekend. We did ride which was lovely however, I have ridden most of my life and did find the ponies a bit slow, I wonder if it would be possible to have a couple of different level of rides, hats, chaps are provided, lead by a charming Gaucho. One morning we went for a walk and we were accompanied by the two Estancia dogs who knew the route round the river then deposited us back to where we started! I do hope they are on the payroll. The horse show is beautiful. | The grounds are immaculate. The pool area well looked after, with yet more food in the way of afternoon tea.|We also had a fabulous empanada lesson in the hotel kitchen.|Our stay was three full days and two nights which was probably about right if part of a longer trip.|My last words really are for the staff, without exception professional but extremely welcoming and fun, they went above and beyond for us, helping with a home issue.|I cant recommend this...

La Bamba is beautifully situated in the countryside northwest of Buenos Aires and first impressions are positive - a warm welcome, excellent lunch and a sense of tranquility. There is a lot to like about this property, as fulsomely described by other reviewers and not repeated here. However, it is let down by its lack of personality and its bizarre policy of allowing numerous day trippers to visit, ruining the otherwise tranquil atmosphere of exclusivity.||For a hotel pitched at the very highest end, there are also several deficiencies. The rooms are small but nicely furnished. However, the transfer of noise between them is poor with voices and "bathroom noises" clearly audible in all three rooms we had. Dinner is communal in a nice dining room but did not reach the promising standards of lunch. More disappointingly, after dinner guests are quickly ushered from the very comfortable dining and drawing rooms into the separate and cramped snooker/TV room - hardly a fitting conclusion to the evening. Breakfast was excellent though.||But what is most disappointing about La Bamba is its policy of allowing people to come to the property for the day. As a result the number of guests suddenly doubles mid-morning and the place changes in character. There is an unseemly competition for seating by the pool and at lunch. In our case horseriding was twlce rearranged before ultimately being delayed by an hour as they tried to accommodate the day trippers before their late afternoon departure. Once they are gone, a welcome calm returns to the hotel.||My other probelm is that the hotel lacks a sense of intimacy and personality. It is a small property but has no-one - at least during our stay - who plays the role of host/manager. Instead the property is staffed by a disparate group of young staff who lack the experience or confidence to undertake this role. We also felt we were very much left to our own devices to discover what activities and excursions might be possible. No-one ever explained the history of the property, the whole gaucho lifestyle thing, what makes the area interesting etc. Essentially we were checked in then left to it. La Bamba needs someone to inject warmth and personality and make guests feel at home ||In summary, it was good but should have been so much better. We quite liked our stay but...

We came here direct from international airport in Buenos after 14 hours flight from Europe. And I can tell you - this is a perfect start of any Argentinian journey ! You need less than 2 hours to enter this idyllic, quiet and elegant world of country polo club with smiling and helpful people around you. This is an historic site, so rooms are not very fancy, but have everything what you need (maybe wifi in rooms will be additional plus for La Bamba).||Endless green fields, beautiful old trees on site, cool swimming pool and service which tries to guess what you need before you even will think about it !||Food is another story here. All meals are done at shared table with all guests, which gives opportunity to meet fantastic people. Breakfast with freshly baked type of croissants, lunch in a BBQ veranda ( be careful ! there are five rounds of servings !) and fancy dinner in a room next to the library.||We spent there 3 days and this was an excellent decision. Many thanks to all staff members, especially to Gabriela, Lucia. This was also great to have a dinner with a General Manager Guilerme who convinced us to drink Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendoza instead an too obvious option of Malbec.||We will also miss Samba ! A beautiful, friendly Golden Retriever who greeted us, was with us...