Faena Hotel Buenos Aires

Rooms and decor

Picture a 1902 red-brick grain mill on the Puerto Madero waterfront, taken over by Argentine fashion designer Alan Faena and global designer Philippe Starck, then rebuilt into a design hotel that genuinely has no equivalent anywhere in the world — that is Faena Hotel Buenos Aires, open since 2004. Step inside and the lobby feels less like a hotel and more like the wings of a theatre: long corridors painted deep red, velvet drapes, glittering chandeliers, white marble, leather, and curious touches like the gilded unicorn head mounted on the wall. Every angle is staged for drama. The roughly 88 rooms and suites play with the same red-and-white tension — crimson headboards and curtains, crisp white walls, dark wood floors, and the classic-meets-modern detailing Starck does so well. Many rooms open onto the dique (the basin) of Puerto Madero, which reflects the city lights at night. Beds are deep and comfortable, the bathroom kit is generous, and the appeal is never minimalist polish — it is the nerve to be loud, saturated, and theatrical, so you feel like you are sleeping inside a living artwork rather than a hotel room. If a hotel with strong character (and no fear of color) is your taste, you fall in love at the front door.

Food and amenities

If anything is the beating heart of this hotel, it is Rojo Tango — the tango cabaret staged in a Cabaret Room painted floor-to-ceiling in deep crimson, like a jewel box. Live music, sharp choreography, and a polished dinner roll into one of the best tango nights in Buenos Aires, and you watch it without leaving the building. Wine lovers gravitate to the Library Lounge, a quietly grand hidden wine room lined with over 4,000 Argentine bottles — exactly the right setting for a pre-dinner glass or a slow nightcap with a cocktail. The hotel kitchens lean into Argentine steak done parrilla-style, alongside modern plates served in full Faena drama. The leisure side is no afterthought either — a long pool set in a garden of fountains and palms gives the feel of an urban oasis, and El Cielo spa rolls in treatment rooms, sauna, and a working fitness centre for a proper unwind after a day on foot. Each part of the hotel reads like its own stage set — built so you can photograph it, share it, and live a story you cannot easily get anywhere else.

Location and getting there

Faena sits in Puerto Madero, the newest, cleanest, and safest waterfront district in Buenos Aires — a revived old port now lined with red-brick warehouses converted into restaurants, glass towers, and wide promenades along the dique. From the front door, a 10-minute waterfront walk takes you to Puente de la Mujer, the sleek pedestrian bridge by celebrated architect Santiago Calatrava that has become the symbol of the neighborhood. Across the basin is the Reserva Ecologica nature reserve, perfect for an afternoon walk or bike ride with a river breeze. The historic core around Plaza de Mayo and the financial district is a short walk or quick taxi away. The one thing to plan for: Puerto Madero has no Subte metro line, so reaching San Telmo, Recoleta, or Palermo almost always means taxis or rideshare — both plentiful and inexpensive in BA. If you want to base in a beautiful, walkable, safe-at-night neighborhood and just taxi out for daily exploration, the math works out very well.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First, getting around — Puerto Madero is pretty and safe but famously off the Subte grid. The nearest metro stop means crossing the basin on foot or a quick taxi, so if you planned to ride the subway as your main mode, this will feel less convenient than central hotels in Microcentro or near Avenida Corrientes. The upside is that taxis and rideshare in Buenos Aires are cheap and easy. Second, the design goes all in — deep reds, dim corridors, and that stage-set drama are exactly why some guests love it and exactly why others do not. Some reviews report the building feels dim, hard to navigate at first, or in places due for refresh and maintenance compared to when it first opened. If you crave bright, minimal rooms, recalibrate your expectations. Third, price and service — costs sit at the top end. Rojo Tango tickets, dining, and drinks all add up quickly, and a number of recent reviewers feel service is uneven on busy nights for the price tag, with slow responses to requests. The smart play: come for the design and the experience as the main event, and treat polished service as a bonus rather than a guarantee.

Our take

After reading hundreds of real guest reviews, our read on Faena Hotel Buenos Aires is that it sells one thing no rival in the city can match — Philippe Starck's full-throttle design, theatrical living, and unapologetic waterfront glamour, all under one roof. If your dream trip in Buenos Aires looks like waking up in a red-and-white room inside a 1902 grain mill, walking the Puerto Madero waterfront past Puente de la Mujer, sipping wine in the Library Lounge, then closing the night with a fiery cabaret at Rojo Tango, this is the stay that will stick with you. But if you prefer light, minimalist rooms, plan to ride the Subte yourself, or rate consistent polished service above all else, the maximalist styling, the no-metro location, and the occasional service slip will give you pause. Overall we rate it 8.8/10 — the right choice for couples and design lovers chasing one truly distinctive, dramatic waterfront experience in Buenos Aires.