At first, as I took the turn form Montevideo onto Posadas and had my first glimpse of the Caesar Park Hotel, nothing about the plain red-brick building impressed me. However, walking through the pillared hallway into the lobby, I could tell I would be treated to a tour of international luxury with an Argentine flare. The friendly, multi-lingual staff was very accommodating to my request to tour the property. Yes, this is a chain hotel, with member properties in Mexico and Brazil. But the chain is small enough, and, according to my guide, this particular property is not heavily influenced by the franchise headquarters (whatever that meant).

Impressively furnished rooms – even the most basic singles – make this property an excellent high-end business hotel. Though I didn’t see them, my host mentioned that the hotel is equipped with meeting rooms as well as a nice size banquet hall. The on-property restaurant Agras is a bit pricey, especially since there are numerous restaurants nearby with equally luxurious fare with much more reasonable prices.

This five-star hotel is located in the fashionable Recoleta district, near the corner of Libertad and Posadas. By taxi, the property is reasonably close to the business districts of Microcentro and Puerto Madeiro. However, like most of Recoleta, it is nowhere near any subte lines. Many of the major historical/cultural attractions are within walking distance – the Recoleta Cemetary (where Evita is entombed) is about 5 blocks west, while the major shopping street of Santa Fe is about 5 blocks south.