Gran Hotel España

Una ratonera, SUCIO, el personal como que no le importaba la atencion al turista, de hotel NO tiene nada, tuve que reclama x la limpieza del cuarto a diario por los cuatro dias que estuvimos. Cuando pague me dieron un papel como recibo, porque no era recibo me dijeron que el sistema estaba apagado y que me lo enviarian x email y aun estoy esperando, el sistema de Wi-Fi. Internet malisimo. NO lo recomiendo a nadie y ese lunar de 3 Estrella's no tiene NADA.

Normal

It is an old building. 5-min walk to the Plaza de Mayo, 7 to 9 min walk to the big BA sign and piramid pillar. It is very close to subway station, so we went to recoleta by changing 2 line subway, and it was my first visit of Buenos Aires. Bring your hair dryer if need one.

The "Gran" isn't so grand but at (about Australian) $33 per night twin share it was excellent value. After our original (booked) hotel wouldn't let us check-in because it was after 8 pm, we headed off to find somewhere to stay. Everything was "fully booked" or maybe they didn't like the look of a couple of old back-packers very late at night. We found the GHE and the guy on reception was very friendly and we stayed 6 nights. The room had a single and a double bed, an old wardrobe and a table and chair. However, the bed was comfortable and the pillow was soft. The housekeeper came in every day and made the bed (I don't even get that at home). The bathroom was small and badly needed a revamp but the shower had hot water and plenty of it. The towels had seen better days but were clean and changed every day. The street is narrow and could, sometimes, be noisy at night. The GHE doesn't serve breakfast but there is an excellent cafe next door, a supermarket across the street (selling cheap Argentine beer) and a laundry about 100 metres away. The GHE is 30 metres from Avenue Plaza de Mayo and a short walk to the Plaza de Mayo. An excellent central location. I've given this a VG rating based on location, price and location to amenities and attractions.

This is a special place that we have returned to after 10 years. It is still great value, with the front rooms with a balcony on the upper floors being our favorites. The men that run the front desk are wonderful and very helpful. There is a lovely old elevator and stairs that feature pretty stained glass windows that surround that elevator. Just in case you would like to walk off those Argentinian meat dinners. Nice big bath tubs, along with antique furniture and a new comfy bed make this a great centrally located jewel of a hotel. Spotlessly clean and priced the same as some backpacker hostels that are anything but clean.

The brass plate outside suggests "Gran" was deserved once. Now it's just a door, leading to some stairs atop which sits a lady of a certain age. She books you in, then rings another similar lady who meets you out of the lift & this one takes you to your room which is off a corridor, round an atrium. It reveals lots of chintz & lace. Slightly unsettling. The shower room is small, and the bedroom feels like it is a room off a bigger room. The whole place has got the feel of there being more permanent residents who only come out at night. There's more lady staff like the one who attentively brings you breakfast. It is all decidedly quirky & old fashioned. I liked it.

In the past it must have been a very nice hotel, but now it is a little bit past its prime. The problem is that the walls are very thin and you can hear every move in the next room. The location is great tho because it is right in the center and it is a good value.

We stayed in a more expensive first floor front facing room (with Balcony) during a holiday weekend and it was a bit noisy so we moved to a smaller (cheaper) room at the back of the building and there was no noise at all. Try and get a front room on a high floor. Both rooms were very clean, had a ceiling fan and TV. The bed sheets looked brand new. Towels and soap were provided and replaced daily. The more expensive room had cable TV and large bathroom, and the other room just one local TV channel and a wet room/shower without bath. The hotel staff were friendly and we felt the hotel to be very safe. No breakfast provided. No internet/WiFi A basic but very affordable accommodation with historic character. Would recommend it to other and will stay there again myself.

After having a horrible experience in the Hostel Recoleta, I found this hotel in a Lonely Planet Guide and gave it try. Since then I have returned to Buenos Aires and went straight to the Gran Hotel Espana, a wonderful hotel just blocks away from the Casa Rosada in the Microcentro. The men at the front desk are old and quirky (I think one was deaf). The service is great and the old-style elevator is great fun! The rooms are large and comfortable, be sure to ask for a room facing the street with a small balcony. The rooms include private bathroom, towels, and extremely helpful service.