HOTEL REVIEW: Hotel Faena + Universe, Buenos Aires

WRITTEN BY Mark Chesnut

It seems like there is a reason why Faena Hotel + Universe calls itself not just a hotel, but a “universe.” It is, at the very least, a different world.
I checked in as part of a group with Borello Travel & Tours (the New York- and Buenos Aires-based tour operator), and from the start you can tell this is a different kind of property. There is no receptionist. There is no concierge. Instead, “Experience Managers” register you and gently try to find out your interests regarding activities (they also inquire about this before you even arrive, so you can get tips about shopping, tours, nightlife and entertainment before you’ve even arrived).
Set in a 100-year-old former warehouse (made with bricks brought from Manchester, England) in the hot up-and-coming waterfront neighborhood called Puerto Madero, Faena Hotel + Universe is the creation of designer Alan Faena and Philippe Starck. The property — which opened in 2005 as a member of Leading Hotels of the World — is visually stunning; much more than a plain, stark boutique hotel.
We had a delicious lunch at El Mercado, a casual restaurant filled with antiques and Argentine memorabilia before wandering around the property, which includes an outdoor pool and a large spa with hammam. Guests may join yoga and meditation classes and also use the hotel’s bicycles, all for free.
I followed the dark, dramatically illuminated corridor on the second floor to my sumptuous guestroom, which has plain white walls accented by rich red and gold details, including a bathroom that is essentially a glass box surrounded by thick red drapes. I needed to rest a bit, because I knew there was a full night ahead — without even leaving the hotel.

Nightlife at Faena
On Friday night, the Faena Hotel + Universe proved to me that you don’t need to leave the property to have a night out on the town (and also why locals and celebrities alike flock to this stylish hotel; recent guests include Beyonce and Cold Play, and we missed the arrival of Guns & Roses by just a few hours, apparently).
Faena at night is dark and dramatically illuminated. We started with cocktails at the Library Bar, the comfy but trendy bar area, before taking a quick swing through El Bistro, the brilliantly white, brilliantly whimsical, Philippe Starck-designed formal restaurant (red carpets and flowers provide interesting accents, though nothing is as attention-getting as the white unicorn heads hanging on the walls), and the Cellar, a private dining room/wine cellar lined with nearly 5,000 bottles of wine. For dinner, we headed to El Cabaret, the hotel’s tango show venue (which I had heard was one of the best — and most expensive — tango shows in the city). It’s a smaller, more intimate place than most of the tango places I’ve visited in Buenos Aires, with tasty food and an impressive performance backed by an excellent band clad in white tuxedos. Candlelight and a bit of fake smoke add to the atmosphere.
After the show, we adjourned back to the Library Bar, which later in the evening becomes a true hotspot; you’ll need reservations to get a table just for drinks among the strategically placed candelabras, under the watchful gaze of what I believe are fake gazelle heads. A live DJ was spinning lounge and electronica vibes as we arrived, but the real entertainment came when Josefina, an attractive young songstress clad in black right down to her long, elegant gloves, took to the floor to belt out dramatic interpretations of songs including “Put the Blame on Mame” and “La Vie en Rose.” It was wonderfully theatrical and self-conscious but stopped short of camp. Outside by the pool, patrons were sipping cocktails beneath trees dotted with red lights.
Alas, tomorrow would be a full day in Buenos Aires, so I had to turn in for the night, just as it was beginning. But it’s quite clear that Faena has created more than just a look and style. They’ve created an ambiance and a community. And quite a cool one, at that.

CONTACTS
Borello Travel & Tours: http://www.borellotravel.com/
Faena Hotel + Universe: http://www.faenahotelanduniverse.com