“This is a basic bed and breakfast”
Reviewed 17 November 2011
I'm sorry but this is not a hotel, far less a "boutique" hotel (in Argentina any establishment can call itself a "boutique" hotel - there is no formal classification criteria laid down although I understand discussions at government level are now taking place to rectify this). This is not the only "hotel" I have stayed at in Palermo, so I have first hand experience of what else is available to travellers. The bedrooms at the Rugantino can only be described as sparse. The double beds are made up of two single mattresses pushed together and these are not high quality mattresses by any means. Interior lighting is provided by bare, energy saver bulbs. Furniture comprised a wooden chair, an open wardrobe with hanging rail and two drawers, a 14" portable tv and a bed. The bathroom was tiny with not enough room in which to swing a cat (I do not condone the swinging of cats under any circumstances) and whilst equipped with the obligatory free-standing round washbasin, the tap protruded so far over the basin as to render it almost unusable. The Breakfast room is dark and depressing. Breakfast was adequate although after 2 days I elected to eat breakfast outside the hotel for some variety. There is a small, dark courtyard with metal tables and a small reception area with a couple of sofas. And a small roof terrace, which was nice. But it is the absolute lack of attention to detail that is most obvious. Fruit juice at breakfast is of the powdered variety; the filter coffee is stewed; there are no cushions for the sun longers on the roof terrace and they are therefore extremely uncomfortable and virtually unusable. There is little, if anything, to demonstrate that the owners actually care about anything other then providing the most basic of essentials in return for your money. On a more positive note, the people who work there are exceptionally courteous and helpful and have a perfect command of English. Had it not been for these employees I would not have given this establishment even two stars. As the whole of Palermo (Soho and Hollywood) is completely safe for tourists, the exact location of the hotel is irrelevant as there are many other places to choose from in the same area. Hand on my heart, I could not recommend this establishment when I know what else is on offer in the same area.
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Stayed November 2011, travelled solo
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
2 December 2011
What a shocking and tough review! Here's our response:
Regarding the matter of 'Boutique Hotel', it's necessary to say that a Hotel located in Buenos Aires in a fashionable and safe neighbourhood, placed in an old house and of a particular style, represents well the 'boutique' spirit also when it's not luxury but warmth and privacy what predominates in the ambience and makes guests feel at home. Something different is, of course, a luxurious boutique hotel equipped with for example super high quality matresses, LCD TVs and top decor, but this kind of hotels in Palermo Soho – which should not be confused with 'Palermo' in general nor with Palermo Hollywood – charge much more than the 100U$D amount this client payed per night for his four-day stay in Rugantino.
Furthermore, an essential part of a boutique hotel is the personalized service, which the client has clearly enjoyed judging by his words ('people who work there are exceptionally courteous and helpful and have a perfect command of English') and which he has factually used to get various information tips. Thus, his insatisfaction comes as a shock after having seen him spend four days chatting friendly with the staff without making any complains.
At the end, the client surprisedly chose to critize the hotel so hardly for no apparent nor understandable reasons, even to the extent of making horribe statements such as the one about the breakfast-juice being made of powder when in fact we offer freshly squeezed orange juice in addition to 'Cepita' natural juice, and of claiming that room #4 has nothing but a bed for furniture when the two antique bedside tables and their lamps seem to have been unnoticed.
Finally, we can agree with the guest on Rugantino not being the only hotel in Palermo Soho, but we are afraid he has not understood that Rugantino is in its own way unique among its kind.
The client has certainly made the wrong decision by choosing a hotel which does not meet his particular requirements, even after having seen the pictures in our website. It's worth mentioning that these are not taken by a profession but by the owner of the hotel, which we believe shows more authentically what Rugantino really is. We are sorry for his low opinion but are not troubled by the bitter taste of the ungrateful and unfair blow he's decided to give us by describing the hotel with such demeaning attitude.
Que crítica feroz!!! y sorpresiva? Vamos a contestarla.
Respecto al tema del Hotel Boutique, hay que decir que un hotel emplazado en Buenos Aires en una antigua casa, con un estilo particular, en un barrio de moda, ubicado en una zona segura representa bien el espíritu “boutique” también cuando no predomina el lujo sino más bien la calidez y la intimidad del ambiente que haga sentir a los huéspedes como en su hogar. Obviamente otra cosa es el hotel boutique de lujo dotado por ejemplo de colchones de alta calidad, televisores plasma y decoración de punta, pero esos hoteles en Palermo Soho (a no confundirse con Palermo – genéricamente – ni tampoco con Palermo Hollywood) tienen precios muy pero muy superiores a los 100U$D que pagó el cliente en el Hotel Rugantino por noche en su estadía de cuatro días.
Elemento escencial del hotel boutique es también la atención personalizada, que el cliente muestra haber disfrutado mucho, pero solo para obtener informaciones varias, como parece al escribir “el personal extremadamente cortés y disponible con perfecto conocimiento de inglés”, y evidentamente de forma equivocada, pues se quedó cuatro días hablando amablemente con el personal sin quejarse de nada respecto a los servicios del hotel.
Al final por razones incomprensibles y sorpresivas el cliente se dio el gusto de devaluar el hotel de forma muy crítica, hasta el punto de decir cosas horrorosas como que en el desayuno hay jugo fruta hecho con polvo cuando el hotel ofrece en diferente jarra exprimido de naranja hecho al momento y exprimido natural de marca Cepita, y de describir la habitación 4 como si fuera una cama sola sin siquiera las dos mesitas de luz antiguas con mármol y sus lámparas que efectivamente tiene.
Finalmente, se puede concordar con el cliente que Rugantino no es el único hotel de Palermo Soho pero él parece no haber entendido que en cierto modo el Rugantino es exclusivo en su género.
El cliente tomó una decisión errónea al elegir un hotel no adapto a su exigencias particulares, a pesar de haber visto las fotos de la pagina web, que no son profesionales sino sacadas por su dueño, y que muestran lo que es Rugantino de verdad, y poco importa el gusto amargo que se ha dado de golpear al hotel describiéndolo insistentemente con tal actitud devaluante.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC