The Faena really is something special. Widely acclaimed as one of Buenos Aires’ best hotels, if not the best, it was designed by Philippe Starck - and it shows. Liberal use of dark red velvet, dark wood and Starck white (pun intended) has created a hotel that feels more luxurious than any I’ve been in before.

The entrance to the Faena

The lobby is gorgeous, as are the hall, restaurants and rooms. The hallways, however, have black or very dark purple carpet and are not well-lit.

The gym is excellent, with a full complement of strength training equipment. The pool was in shade until I left at nearly 12pm, but it’s an excellent size and very nicely presented. The apparently full-service spa was not reviewed, but offers a wide selection of treatments.

The Faena fitness centre

The check-in process was like no other - smooth, personal, and very well done. I felt very special as I was swept into the hotel and seated at a walnut and red velvet desk with my Experience Manager, billed as being dedicated to assisting me during my stay. I was escorted to my room by my Experience Manager and shown how to use the various fixtures.

After that, however, things didn’t feel quite so special. Experience managers are an interesting concept but interacting with them felt exactly like calling a concierge.

One small quibble I had at the Faena was that, although I was paying upwards of $500 for my room, the internet not free - not only this, but it took three calls to enable access for me. A large part of the delay was their having mis-spelled my surname, but also the instructions for getting access to the internet were not at all clear. The person from the business centre did call me back to check that everything had worked. I was generally really impressed with the attitudes and caliber of the staff, and almost every time I used the phone to request assistance I was greeted by name.

The Faena Bistro

In addition, it was not clear when to call ‘0′ and when to call the Experience Manager - many sections of the hotel guide in my room simply said ‘Please call your Experience Manager’, when really I wanted an answer without having to make a call!

Other little details were the preponderance of Spanish over English, such as in the gym where all notices on machines were solely in Spanish, and the fact that the cold water in the hand basin ran brown for a couple of seconds.

The pool at the Faena

These small points do not detract from the fact that my time at the Faena was one of the most memorable hotel stays I have had. In a legion of cookie-cutter hotels, the Faena definitely stands out.

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