Duque Hotel Boutique & Spa

Another bride, another groom, another boutique hotel in Buenos Aires. In a city crowded with hip places to stay, you have to do something to stand out from the crowd. Duque Hotel Boutique is one of those rare places that doesn’t need a gimmick or even a high concept: they just do all of the little things right.

First and foremost is the location. Duque sits smack dab in the middle of the city’s (arguably) most desirable neighborhood, Palermo Soho, a hotbed of fashionable cocktail bars and shops where good-looking locals crowd the sidewalk cafes.Second, the look: Duque mixes old and new, refined and whimsical, resulting in an atmosphere that’s warm and romantic but thoroughly contemporary.

The building still has old bones, though the interiors have been restored and shaped, so the five guest rooms aren’t overly spacious, but all are well-appointed. The decor includes tongue-in-cheek antiques like a vintage hatstand or a 1920s-style chair alongside modern amenities like flat-screen TVs and sleek linens; the color palette, fittingly, features muted black, charcoal, and white with bright pops of burgundy and cherry red. Wireless internet access is complimentary and each room comes with a mini-fridge that’s a godsend on sweltering Argentinian afternoons.

As the name indicates, the hotel also has a spa and a swimming pool, both petite but pretty — like everything on the property. It’s exactly these qualities, the small scale and the careful attention to detail, that make the Duque so lovely. And isn’t that what boutique hotels were supposed to be about? Especially in Buenos Aires, where the very concept has been watered down and the spirit lost in knock-off boutique hotels around town, the idea suddenly seems very novel indeed.

• 14 Rooms
• Style: Contemporary Classic
• Atmosphere: Lively
• 11 Guest Reviews

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