A Dream Come True

Guest: Julie M.
Date of Stay: 11/05/11 Review Submitted: 12/18/11

A dream come true! This is what our trip to Argentina was, and Buenos Aires did not disappoint. A very important element of this most amazing trip was our penthouse at 1830 Thames in the desirable Palermo Soho district. It was perfect for my husband and me. We spent the month of November there, and it truly was our home away from home. Our first impression was just what I had hoped it would be. A lovely tree lined street with our attractive apartment building and our apartment on the 7th floor with the most wonderful front patio overlooking the trees and buildings; a neighborhood with many restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, book stores, men and women's clothing stores, leather and shoe stores, unique shops of all sorts, and all within walking distance. There was excellent transportation with very affordable taxis available every few minutes and buses at all intersections running throughout the day. We loved walking through the friendly streets of Palermo Soho and ventured to wonderful parts of the city like the Japanese Gardens, Evita museum, Buenos Aires zoo, botanical gardens, beautiful lush parks, and all not far from our apartment. At times, especially on rainy days we would stay in and prepare meals in the fully equipped kitchen and enjoy breakfast or dinner as we looked at the beautiful patio from the dining room or living room. The bedroom also has a small patio that oversees the other side of the building, a huge walk-in closet and two very nice bathrooms. And, by the way, a great TV, computer and cell phone were there for our use. I could go on forever on everything good about this great apartment, but one thing that was even better were the people that we interacted with that made our stay so enjoyable. First of all Thom, the owner. He is professional and quick to respond to all inquiries. Our transactions with him were easy and fast and he is, indeed, very generous with everything he provides for apartment residents. I also cannot say enough about the lovely Guille, the apartment manager, who speaks perfect English and responded to our calls immediately when we needed her. Her knowledge of the city and all it offers was very valuable to us, and she scheduled transportation to various locations for us when we had luggage and two day trips out of the city to an estancia, or to the airport. Guille was absolutely great! Also, the weekly housekeeper Myriam was friendly and very reliable. 1830 Thames, Wonderful!!!

Recommended for:

Excellent Property and Experience

Guest: Robert S.
Date of Stay: 10/21/11 Review Submitted: 11/07/11

I am a consultant who has been assigned to a long term project in Buenos Aires. After spending the first week of my assignment in a hotel in Palermo, I decided that I needed more space / the conveniences of a home. Valentino's Penthouse did not disappoint. As mentioned by previous reviewers, Thom is very generous with his possessions. Since my stay here, I have rented other apartments in Palermo, which have made me realize how above and beyond Thom has gone to make this a comfortable place to stay. Aside from everyday conveniences, this property has a couple of other features that beat out other properties around its pricepoint. The first is the balcony, the pictures don't do justice to how big it is / how much it extends the space in the living room. The second is the location, walking distance to great bars and restaurants and still quiet at night. I can't stress the quiet part enough. Unless you plan on partying like a porteno (all night), you'll probably want to go to bed at some point. This is not always possible in certain apartments / parts of Palermo, where the noise doesn't die down until sunrise and double pane glass is non-existent. The last are Thom and Guille (the property manager), they were both very prompt, attentive, and flexible and sincerely care about whether their guests are enjoying their stay. All in all, it was a great stay and I will be keeping my eyes open for its availability in the future.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, tourists without a car, girls getaway, families with teenagers, romantic getaway.

Wonderful apartment in Palermo

Guest: aew1969 (Denver, CO)
Date of Stay: 09/04/11 Review Submitted: 10/25/11

My boyfriend and I stayed in this apartment for the month of September and were sad to leave. It's on a beautiful tree-lined, quiet street, just a few minutes' walk to all the hot spots in Palermo Soho. You can't walk more than 10 feet without tripping over another restaurant or funky boutique. The apartment itself is great - a home away from home. It's the perfect size for a couple, and I particularly liked that there's a laptop for your personal use. It's super-bright because of the decks on both sides, but is well-equipped with black-out curtains in the bedroom as an antidote to those very late BsAs nights! Best part of all was having an English-speaker on-site to welcome us and answer any questions we had about how everything worked. Guille was wonderful! Several of the best-known parrillas (essentially the Argentinian version of a steakhouse) in the city are walking distance away - in particular try la Cabrera - it's definitely touristy, but we had the best steak EVER there! A great place to stay, in by far the most interesting part of the city.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, sightseeing, tourists without a car, girls getaway, age 55+, romantic getaway.

Home away from home

Guest: Dani (Yorktown, Virginia)
Date of Stay: 05/14/11 Review Submitted: 06/02/11

My husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed our stay in the Valentino Penthouse! It is close to everything yet very quiet and private. The neighborhood is very safe and replete with restaurants, bars, boutiques, stores and two squares very nearby. The penthouse is very spacious with one large deck and a smaller one that afford beautiful sunsets and an area to sit outside and relax after a long day of visiting the city. It really felt like we were coming home when we returned each day. Guille, the property manager, organized an airport pick-up and return that was very reasonable ($30) and welcomed us to the city and penthouse. My husband stayed 7 nights and since I was working, I stayed on an extra 4 nights and felt totally safe and right at home. The square off of Costa Rica was our favorite only a few blocks away and shopping for purses at Florentina Murana (Borges 1760) is a must. The owner Gabriela and assitant Laura have the best offerings of real leather purses and wonderful handmade jewelry. Ask about the 20% discount for paying cash. The closest ATM we found was off of Malavia by the Starbucks in the back of the shopping center. The subway we preferred to take was Plaza Italia and is ony a short walk from the penthouse. There are also many buses that make this home so practical for visitors. Thom is very generous with his "stuff" as another guest mentioned. The safe worked great, the sheets and towels were top of the line, the bed comfy and the kitchen was fully loaded, even though we never cooked since the dining experience in Buenos Aires is outstanding and very reasonable. We can't say enough great things about the whole experience from start to end. Thank you Thom and Guille. You really made our stay special and we will always look forward to returning to this magical city and your lovely home.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children.

Love BA!!!!!

Guest: J&S ("Ann Arbor MI)
Date of Stay: 03/30/11 Review Submitted: 04/24/11

We stayed at Valentino's Soho Penthouse for 2 weeks and it was wonderful!! We couldn't have asked for a better location. Everything was just as we hoped it would be - very comfortable and clean. Many times we commented on how happy we were as opposed to staying in a hotel - one morning it rained and we had a couple pots of coffee and just relaxed - something that would not be easy to do in a hotel! The bed was super comfy!!! Tons of mirrors and space in the closet and bathroom - the couch in the living area pulled out to a bed and was comfortable, too. The extra bath was a bonus. We loved the terrace/balcony! With 70+ degree sunny weather we were outside all the time. The kitchen had everything we needed - as I like to cook "vacation" omelettes instead of going out. The market "just around the corner" had everything - including a great selection of wine. No need to go to the bigger grocery store 6 blocks away! There are loads of restaurants and cafes within walking distance. Not to mention the shopping!! Guille was such a nice surprise! She was helpful with any questions we had and met us at the apartment. She also arranged a driver to both meet us at the airport and drop us back off on our return :) We would definitely return to Thoms apartment and highly recommend staying there while in BA!!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, tourists without a car, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Valentino's Penthouse

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/16/11 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

We returned recently from our third month long stay at Valentino's Penthouse and have already booked for 2012. The apartment is very comfortable and meets all of our needs. It's most outstanding feature for us is the wonderful patio which we use daily. It's a great place to have a drink before heading out to one of the wonderful restaurants in the area. We've entertained our Spanish teacher from 2 years ago who comes with his family and cooks for us on the parilla--great fun! My husband developed and foot problem while we were there and had to limit his walking for a while, , but he found the apartment a great place to be semi-stranded. I felt totally safe going out for walks on my own in every direction from the apartment, including all the way into the city to Plaza de Mayo (about and hour and a quarter) from which I'd return by subway. Within a half hour walk are the Planetarium, the zoo, the Evita Museum, and lots of parks. There's a very good grocery store a block away and larger ones (Jumbo, Disco, and Carrefours) within a 20 minute walk. Apartment manager Guille, who speaks perfect English, is very responsive to any problems that may occur. She introduced us to a wonderful neighborhood restaurant, La Escondida, where we joined her for lunch. Myrian come is once a week to clean and does a very thorough job. We're already looking forward to our return next year to a great apartment in a great neighborhood in a great city.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+.

Exceeded Our Expectations

Guest: Alex (Healdsburg, CA)
Date of Stay: 01/03/11 Review Submitted: 01/14/11

Four of us spent a week in this apartment after spending a week at another apartment in Alto Palermo. Our only concern was whether the space would be big enough to accommodate all four of us. It turned out to be plenty spacious and the fold-out couch was very comfy and large enough for 2 adults (somewhere between a full and a queen size). A clean set of sheets was provided to fit the fold-out couch as well as a folding partition for privacy. This apartment was definitely our favorite of the two we stayed in because it was very clean, spacious, bright, and had all the modern ameneties we needed to make our stay perfect. Also, the location couldn't be better! Thom (the owner) was very responsive and a pleasure to deal with, and Guille (the manager) is a wealth of information about the area. We are very glad we chose to stay in Palermo Soho because it is safe, offers great shopping, restaurants, cafes, bars, and clubs. We only wish that we had more time here. It made a good launching point to visit museums in Recoletta, see historical architecture in San Telmo, and visit parks in Palermo. Having a cell phone and computer to use were just icing on the cake and made things (research, reservations, etc.) very convenient. I can't forget to mention how much we enjoyed hanging out in the rooftop jacuzzi and using the parilla (BBQ) to grill up delicious lomo, ojo de bife, and entraña. With amazing views and a bottle of local Malbec or Bonarda (both excellent with the meat), it provided us memories that will last a lifetime. We will surely return here on our next visit to BA.

Recommended for:

Perfect Apartment In Perfect Location

Guest: Don (Mexico)
Date of Stay: 11/01/10 Review Submitted: 12/12/10

We spent the month of November, 2010, at this wonderful apartment. Despite having read all the rave reviews, it still managed to exceed our expectations. Modern appliances and plumbing fixtures. Perfectly laid out. Back terrace off the bedroom for morning coffee, very large front terrace for sipping wine and snacking the rest of the day. Guille (the manager) couldn't have done more for us. (Guille in rioplatense castellano is pronounced: Gee-shay.) Wi-Fi worked flawlessly. And the location? It couldn't have been better. My wife and I are foodies. We have a passion for fine restaurants. Within a 15 minute walk from the apartment there were at least six excellent restaurants. About four doors from the apartment was Lele de Troya, where we probably dined ten times. The food was that good. Also, La Baita, La Retirada, Don Julio (fantastic rib-eye, but too big for one person; and in Buenos Aires there is no doggy-bagging). One of our ultimate favorites was Cluny, where we dined often on the patio. An intensely romantic setting. Our favorite outdoor cafe was Mama Racha, at the corner of Armenia and El Salvador. We had planned to cab to restaurants all over the city, but only left Palermo Soho once, to dine at Oviedo (excellent!) in nearby Recoleta. One tip: The open-air bus tour is work taking, for orientation purposes. It's hop on, hop off, but you can only purchase tickets at the corner of Calle Florida and Diagonal Del Norte and nowhere else along its route.

Owner response:Guest asked to make following corrections: Mama Racha, is located at Armenia and Costa Rica, not Armenia and El Salvador. The open-air bus tour is "worth taking" instead of "work taking."

Recommended for:People with disabilities, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, romantic getaway.

Great location and all that you need!

Guest: Monique (Woodside, Ca)
Date of Stay: 10/01/10 Review Submitted: 10/11/10

We stayed here Oct. 2010 and very much enjoyed it. The apartment is in the best location of Buenos Aires. There is a grocery store, pharmacy and laundry service within 1 block. There are also the most amazing restaurants within a few blocks. All of the boutiques in Palermo are also within walking distance. The apartment itself is great, all amenities were there, a computer to use, full kitchen, house phone, cell phone, a safe and a great outdoor space. After a day we felt so at home! This place beats staying at any hotel.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, tourists without a car, girls getaway, age 55+, romantic getaway.

Great Place in a Great Neighborhood

Guest: Craig and Tania (South Florida)
Date of Stay: 06/13/10 Review Submitted: 07/16/10

At first we were steered to Recoleta for hotels, but quickly found that is not what we wanted. So we found this Palermo apartment and we stayed here for three weeks ending in July 2010. Suffice it to say that the location is fantastic and within a short walk to many well reviewed restaurants as well as all conveniences. (Think La Cabrera, Don Julio and the many trendy places nearby.) We found a decent gym about a 5 minute walk away and easily navigated public transportation. For the less adventurous, taxis are available on the street right outside 24 hours a day. Thom was easy to deal with and was very accomodating. Everything he promised about this place was true. One of the real gems was Guille who is your local host--she's a local BA native who speaks better English than some of my friends and can point you to anything you may need. She responded instantly to our texts and emails and became a friend. She's single too, so if you know anyone....uhh I digress.... Stay here if you want a nice quiet place in a great, safe neighborhood and way more space and comforts than you would get in a hotel. I don't give glowing reviews lightly but this place was exactly as promised and met all our expectations.

Recommended for: