I did go to Buenos Aires with my mother (80) a person who prefers the Sheratons, Hiltons etc. We both took the chance with the Principe Hotel (since our beloved cat is named Principe) and found it a great deal and a nice place to stay. Since we do not spend much time at a hotel and I had a rented car, we were not interested in extra activities (pool, sauna, etc.) For the price of under $50 dollars, Hotel Principe is a good deal. I was uneasy about my rented car and parking but I was pleased with the parking lot across the hotel. I paid $12 dollars for parking 24 hours a day during 4 days. You need parking, since you can not park in both sides of the street in Buenos Aires and with so many cars, it is difficult to find spaces for overnigth parking. I do speak Spanish so communication is not a problem. Their 3 person staff, is friendly and helpful. Breakfast is only croissants and coffe, but very good. Its location is very good. Half block from Avenida Santa Fe and its shopping stores. This avenue takes you directly to downtown and the wide 9 de Julio avenue. Perfect location for me to drive back and forth. A/C is by demand but does not work very well. Although in the middle of summer, it was raining and did not suffer much for lack of A/C. Our room was big an clean. The bathroom OK. I requested help with two tango shows reservations and they did good. Since most of these tango places pick you up and bring you back to the hotel, location of the Principe Hotel does not matter if you do not have transportation. By the way, a metro station is one and half block away!
If you are the type that spends most of the day at a hotel, this NOT YOUR type of place to stay. Otherwise, I highly recomend it!
Finally, I could not get my reservation with their weeb page; It would not connect properly when the final "click" was activated. However, I e-mailed them with my date of arrival and they confirmed it by e-mail.

I stayed about 10 days at this hotel and really did like it.

First off I can tell you as a very well traveled person I found this to be a great bargain.

Location is excelent with many shops and restaurants within walking distance on Av. Santa Fe. Hotel is on a side street so there is not too much trafic noise from outside. A great restaurant on Av. Santa Fe is Comida Y Co. great all you can eat buffet for about $8.00 quality is excelent.

Those who complained about this hotel I feel are really those types of people who are hard to please. Look this Hotel is not the Ritz or Four Seasons, if you want four seasons comfort and luxury dont book at a $30.00 a night hotel.

What I can tell you is that the staff work hard here, and you will be greated by a cleaning lady who will take your lugage up to your room for you regardless if it is over half her weight! So please dont believe anyone who could tell you this place is dirty.

OK Argentines are not known for be humble and salt of the earth people but they are generally open and friendly. I sympatise with the writer who did not know his flight schedule (due to injury) but he should not expect a hotel with 15-20 rooms to be able to accomidate an open check out. On the contrary the fact that they did accomidate him shows in my opinion a degree of effort to help guests.

The hotel also has full cable tv with about 80 channels, and free access to 800 numbers like AT&T or Canada Direct!

The only warnings I can give someone is the following. Breakfast is included but I did not take it as it was very very simple and not the best quality at that. But again at $30-35.00 what do you expect? Your room has a fridge and supermarkets are near by so hey buy some OJ and Yogurt and enjoy the savings! Also the kitchen downstaris will heat up anything in a microwave for you.

Reservations at a hotel that has few rooms and offers a large comfortable room at a low price can be difficult, but I did find the staff ready to help and by possibly calling two times and letting them know your ready to take a room if someone cancels or no shows you will find they will do what they can for you.

Lucky are those who are able to book a room at this hotel!

We stayed at this hotel for 7 days in March 2005, our room was large and light with 3 beds. The bathroom could have been a little cleaner, but it was more than acceptable for the money $35USD/night with breakfast. We wanted to stay in an Argentinian hotel rather than a hotel full of American and European tourists and this certainly was the right place. The hotel staff was helpful in making dinner reservations and lending us champagne glasses to use in the room when we bought a bottle of champagne from the grocery store rather than from their small bar. We plan to return to BsAs next year and will defintely stay at the Hotel Principe again.

i am from Uruguay, and every time i travel to Bs As I stay at the Principe Hotel. Its disgusting read the things that the woman of Austria wrote. I know the people that works there and are very friendly. My language is spanish obviously, but every time i travel i enter in tripadvisor, sorry about my inglish. When i make reservations in every hotel of the world they ask me the days exactly i will stay because the works with reservation. The problem perhaps are that the american people or european thinks that in south america we are death and they want to pay U$S 35 dolars and receive a HIlton service. Write here anything its free, i see!!!