A hotel lost in the past... terrible service and very poor amenities and rooms

I decided to stay at a hotel casino at Piriapolis after watching a cult movie called "Whisky". I wanted some of that late sixties air... We arrived by bus from Montevideo and the hotel was so close to the bus station that we decided to walk instead of taking a cab. We had very little baggage, it's true. We were promptly welcomed by the hotel staff and taken into our room. When I first made the reservation I asked for a room with sea view but, I was told that I'd only get a room with a side view of the beach...oh well that'd be enough for my tight budget... But surprise! Notwithstanding I was taken into a room righ in front of the beach! the most breathtaking view of Piriápolis beach. At night I could place a seat at the balcony and spend the most relaxing hours looking at the waves and listening to the soothing sound of the sea. I had wrap myself in a coat because it was really cold but worth it. So beautiful it was that I have taken a photo which is my pc wallpaper now. I had to personally thank Ms. Mariana Camacho for the choice of the room but wasn't so lucky to meet her at the hotel. The hotel is very beautiful. It is huge and the ceilings are so high! I see many people complaining that the hotel is old and that many things are worn out. I agree that somethings are actually worn out but, being an antique is what made this place so charming for me. The room was very spacious. It was divided into two rooms with beds in both of them for the guests to chose which one suited them best. It didn't have air conditioning but It had oil heaters for the rooms and ceiling fans. However the weather was so nice we didn't need either of them. It was rather cold outside but the room was naturally warm and cozy. The furniture suits the antique looks of the hotel which may be deceptive for the lovers of futuristic decoration. I loved it. We attended a guided visit of the hotel led by an incredible man who seemed to know by heart every little historic detail about the hotel and the life of Francisco Piria (founder of the city, former owner of the hotel) however if you're not into historic detailed explanations you should skip it for the visit itself is just a history class with a rather poor slide presentation. We had breakfast at the hotel cafeteria which for me was ok and with a dazzling view of the Rambla de los Argentinos. Although it is far from the quality of breakfasts of Brazilian Hotels I can't complain about it. The hotel has swimming pools with warm sea water. It is a very nice experience and we spent a lot of time there. I had been told that uruguaian men wear only shorts at the beaches and at swimming pools. I had brought only baithing suits and I wore them. I had no problems besides some old guys staring at me (maybe they found me attractive lol). By the way, the other guests at the hotel were a couple with a small child and a few other childless old couples. They seemed pretty cold people for me. In Brazil, we usually give people a head nod at the very least when we don't know them but they were silent people and that was wonderful. The casino was way boring for me and after spending three 10 pesos coins I left the place. Instead I stayed at the hotel lobby near the cafeteria where a guy was playing a sax so nice... The hotel staff is incredibly efficient. We couldn't rent a car so We asked Ms. Luana to help us and she promptly made the deal for us by phone. I have to praise her promptness and efficiency. We had a computer at the lobby which had internet access and was very handy. Well considering my expectances the stay was a very pleasing one. Yet, Piriapolis at spring is a wonderful place for those seeking some rest like myself.

I spent a week at the Argentino in Feb 2006 - It was summer there and the place was packed with families with children - a bit noisy at breakfast! I enjoyed the place but its NOT for those looking for 21st century amenities. Its one of those huge old destination resorts where people went for large blocks of time in the summer back in the old days. The halls are 18 feet wide! Elevators old but functional. The building itself is an incredible concrete monolith. Like vacationing at an old State mental hospital. Bedrooms are a bit spartan - large with high ceilings and dated wooden furniture. We sprung for a "Senior" room which had air conditioning (most rooms are not air-cinditioned). The AC was a most insufficient noisy through-the-wall unit. However there are constant breezes off the water (location is right on the Rambla facing the beach) and after the first night we turned the wheezing unit off and opened the huge windows. If you open the transom over the door you get a powerful steady air current through the room as the hotel keeps the enormous hallway windows open at all times. Meals were OK, except in the main DR which was too crowded and noisy for my taste - check out the wonderful grill room in the back of the property beyond the pool - nightly entertainment. The freshwater and salt water pools behind the hotel are surrounded by lawns with plenty of trees for shade, if you want it. This is a family oriented resort - lots of room for kids to run around and organized activities daily. They also have nightly cultural offerings - guitar concerts, poetry readings, a book discussion etc. In Spanish of course. Overall I liked the stay here and I liked being someplace clearly different than what we usually experience.

The town is small - there is a wide sandy beach in a crescent shape. There is an arial tram to the top of San Antonio Hill with good views of the area. Many small restaurants along the Rambla if you get bored of hotel food.

SB Philadelphia

I stayed at the Argentino Hotel in Piriapolis in February, 2006. Fortunately, we only stayed for 3 days. It was awful! Even when we rented one of the "recently renewed rooms" and one of the most expensive room in the hotel.

The building resembled a public house or a hospital: very tall ceilings; huge corridors, with no furniture; floors were old and damaged, elevators were old and did not work properly.
Rooms were not well appointed. In those rooms that were "renewed", small TVs were placed on some iron-made tables which, certainly, had nothing to do with the old fashioned style of the hotel. This was just one more detail that showed the poor quality of the hotel. There were no blankets available: just some small ones, similar to airplanes blankets.

Bathrooms´ windows faced the corridors, so you could hear noises from the bathrooms when you were walking the 150 m corridor that stood between your room and the elevators. Regarding "renewed" bathrooms, pls expect some renewal from the 70´s, nothing after that. Hot water was missing sometimes. The quality of towels and soaps was really poor! Not even in some cheap budget hotels I had found stuff like this.
Pools were ok, even when they needed extra maintenance ( painting and some other details were missing).
Breakfast was ok, nothing great but not bad.
By night, there was a live music show that gave some fresh air to the overall depressive hotel.

The exterior of the hotel is impressive: it looks really nice. Unfortunately, the interior is not quite the same.
I found no better hotel at Piriapolis: the whole city lacks a good tourist infrastructure. Just budget hotels. Caffes and restaurants were also modest and did not seem very clean.
Beaches were good.