Thanks to the many people who responded to my inquiry about the Hotel Castelar in Bs As. I have made reservations there and have been asked to share some of the feedback I received about the hotel. It is supposed to be a close walk to the Club Espanol, the main venue for CITA 2000. I was told that a number of people who went to COSMO TANGO last year stayed there, so it would be good for sharing cabs to go to other events, etc. The discount rate for CITA 2000 attendees is $80.00 US per night for a double room (total, not per person) including tax. A superior room is $54.00 per person for a double room and the rate for a suite is 78.00 per person.
Here are partial comments from the responses: "I stayed at the Castelar when I was in B.A. last April. It's a nice hotel (very nice by B.A. standards) with reasonably comfortable rooms and a restaurant which is open from early in the morning and serves dinner relatively late. They have a continental breakfast which is reasonable, but not great. Media lunas, cheese, ham, cereal and really good coffee. The location is terrific. There are many good restaurants in the area. There was usually someone at the desk who spoke English..... I found the room to be relatively quiet and dark. Good for sleeping in the daytime." "It's a nice hotel in a great location. I stayed there on my first trip to BsAs before a complete renovation. Good choice." "It is an older hotel, but clean and safe. Has a high ceilings and old time doors and bathroom. Shower/bath was good even if it was about 1940's vintage. There are secure boxes for your valuables in a room near the elevators. Very old, but adequate....Was there two days before I found out the desk had to turn on the Air Conditioner! Then, I was quite comfortable ....The hotel will cash a twenty or maybe a fifty every day or two." "I found the accommodations satisfactory in that my room was clean, comfortable and secure with adequate space for my things and a nice private bathroom with a high enough shower (I am 6'6"" tall). I liked the breakfast and the fact that the hotel was within walking distance of a number of good restaurants, dance studios and shops. It is reasonable to walk to the presidential palace and to the houses of congress and also to San Telmo." " I have stayed at the Castelar on several different trips, for many weeks at a time. I think it's great spot, with a very elegant feel and look. As you may know, it's about 2-3 times as expensive as the typical tango-visitor's hotel, but it's about 10 times nicer. Most of the places where tango people stay in Bs.As. are real dumps, by any American or European standards. The Castelar is a place you would be proud (if you understand how am using the word) to admit to, if someone were to ask you where you are staying, or where to drop you off, and is a place where you would be happy to invite someone to tea, or to sit in the lovely reception area. The staff is very nice, there are doormen and such, and an actual luncheon restaurant. The location is choice, just off the intersection of 9 de Julio and Av. de Mayo (subte going every which way from there - the metro). "The rooms, as always, are relatively small, but very clean, and well-appointed. If you request a higher floor, the road noise is quite tolerable. (I suspect you know that the typical "tango hotel" has horrible road noise, unless you choose an "interior" room, which either has NO WINDOWS, or looks into a ventilator shaft or alley - if you are lucky.) ....I think it is a great place, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants an older-style, turn of the century look and feel. "Go for a room on the side of Av. de Mayo. Go as high up as they have an opening (the 2 elevators has been totally modernized between my various visits - fast and reliable). Those rooms on that side (Deluxe, I believe) are a little pricier, look out at Av. de Mayo principly, but you get real views of 9 de Julio too, and, actually offer REAL, walk-outside, marble balconies where two people can stand and look at the cityscape; the architecture you see from there (a lot) has it's Engliah and French roots, but it's a little decrepit, making you think Prague." "It's old, (so what else is new in bs.as.) simple, but it's clean, noisey but centrally located,close to avenida 9 de julio, you can walk to many places from there." "Here is my best description of my experience at the Castelar. The location was ideal we could walk to the main event location and some classes. There are a lot of restaurants within walking distance. The hotel lobby is quite attractive. The street in front of the hotel is quite busy with traffic and the accompanying noise. The room was small (the bed filled most of the room) and had a AC unit that was controlled by the front desk. The room was reasonably clean, but the bed was very uncomfortable. There was no closet just an armoire type thing that was too small to hold our clothes for the week. The bath was OK, clean, perhaps just a little small. Hotel service was good, front desk personnel were very helpful, and spoke English. We did save a lot of money on an airport shuttle service by not using the one recommended by the hotel." "I have stayed there and I like it very much. You must ask to see various rooms though, because some rooms are very small. I got a large room with a balcony overlooking the street and I loved it. The location is super and you can use the turkish bath for free. Hotel Gran Espanol a block away is also cute and small and about half the cost." "I liked it much better than Bauen." Cammie Strange Colorado [email protected]
