Axel Hotel

Axel is a very nice hotel, in a not-so-nice area. The Hotel is in a tumble down area of SanTelmo and is facing a crumbling building across the street and is surrounded by much taller apparently vacant or abandoned old buildings. It is relatively new and is still working out some of the bugs. My stay there was pleasant but not all it is billed as (e.g., a 4 or 5 star hotel). It is not a 5 star hotel. It is a nice, highly desiged, boutique hotel that caters to gay men. There is a difference.

First, the check-in reception is far too small to be able to handle the typical rush of check-in and check-out. The single staff member seemed overwhelmed so that it took much longer than necessary to get basic information or services. The reception area is too small to handle more staff and really should be moved.

The rooms are quite expensive for the area when compared to other major cities. Anticipate $AR900 per night (about $290USD) for a room that sleeps one or two in a king sized bed or two twin sized beds pressed together. The drinks cost about $AR20 (about $8USD).

During the pool party, the staff seemed to run out of towels, which seems like a pretty basic matter to avoid. It took 20 minutes to get two towels... for a POOL PARTY! It was easier to get them myself rather than wait. They did not have enough ingredients to make the cocktails that were advertised on the list of available drinks. The morning breakfast was good. A continental breafast with meats, breads, eggs, juices and pastries. Well done.

The design of the hotel values style over functionality. The shower cube in the middle of the room is a nice (and somewhat unique) design feature, but on a long shower it will steam up the room, which is not large to begin with. The sinks don't drain properly and while they look nice, they are not practical for most uses beyond merely washing your hands. The flatscreen televisions on the wall, the leather lined closets and mirror wall are nice touches. No pictures on the white walls, no carpet or rugs and concrete floors is one person's "minimal" and another person's prison cell.

The roofdeck pool was interesting, but it is about a meter deep, so no diving. It is also about 95 degrees so it is essentially a vast hottub. The nearby hot and steam saunas and actual four-person hottub are nice. Free and available water is a nice touch, similar to Axel in Barcelona, Spain.

The pool party is fun. It starts with guests laying on chairs getting sun, but as the crowd comes in and sun goes below the surrounding rooftops, the party decends to the lower level (near the bar) and is quite a good time with good music. It is certainly a well attended event and should not be missed.

The Axel is fine for a single traveler or a couple who are seeking a decidedly gay experience in BA. It is not, however, the best hotel for an experienced traveler who wants the service and amenities to match or surpass the price. At Axel, you pay for the design and likelihood of cute guys working there. I saw only one woman (other than the cleaning lady) for my entire stay.

If you want luxury beyond a boutique hotel still trying to get it right, look elsewhere. If you want to be close to the better restaurants, shopping and clubs, Axel is not the best choice. If you are looking for a gay hotel that understands its clientele and makes a strong attempt to please them, Axel may be your place. However, considering the price, you may have to overlook quite a bit to be happy. Let's hold out hope for Axel Hotel in Berlin.