Accommodation in Buenos Aires, Bariloche + Iguazu Falls

[glacierchick]

Hi all,
we're planning a big trip to Argentina/Chile next year (Jan/Feb). I've got the flights sorted out + a good chunk of the trip booked but I'm looking for some recommendations for accommodation in Buenos Aires (3 - 4 nights) and Bariloche in the Argentinian lake district.

We're a family of 4 with 2 young DCs (3 + 5) and I'm trying to work out if we should go for self-catering or BnB (AirBnB recommendations also good!) or perhaps a hotel?

I'm used to staying in hostels/camping mostly but think we'll splash out a bit on this trip, however I don't want to stay somewhere posh where I have to worry about keeping the kids quiet all the time, which is why I consider a self-catering apartment (with the downside that I'll have to shop/cook/clean!).

We're also considering visiting the Iguazu Falls at the end. I liek the idea of a rainforest lodge a bit out of town where the kids can get close(r) to the wildlife, but soemthing a bit deluxe (bearing in mind we'll have spent 2 weeks camping previously!) woudl be nice. Extra points for a swimming pool as DC2 is a water rat...

Any personal recommendations/suggestions would be highly appreciated. I want to book as much as we can before we arrive!

Cheers
GC

I think you will find self catering a bit too basic in Argentina. Do you speak good Spanish? Once outside Buenos Aires you will have to if you are going anywhere that is not a top class hotel.

For what its worth we did the same trip in the 1990s. It was wonderful but we did it with Journey Latin America who organised it all.

We stayed at the Alvear Palace hotel in Buenos Aires. We then did New Year at an Estancia with a family outside Buenos Aires which was more B&B although we had our own polo ponies and a man who took an entire day to make a barbecue and a house keeper.

Then we went to Bariloche and the place to stay at there is the Llao Llao Hotel.

In Chile we stayed at the Correra Hotel in Santiago. Outside Santiago we went to Iquique and the hotel there was not great.

There are a lot more hotels available now than when we went but as I say the quality is variable and once you get outside the capital cities the need to speak Spanish is much greater unless you are in really top international hotels. There is a heck of a lot of corruption too. I would not drive a car there. The chances of being stopped and getting shaken down by police is high. You need to be on an organised trip. Not a package tour but you need someone who has organised it all before you go. Someone to contact if you are unwell or have problems.

Have a lovely trip though - me and DW still talk about our trips to Argentina and Chile. We made several over a few years and would go back again without hesitation.

Thanks for the recommendations! I've travelled through both Chile + Argentina before and both I and DH speak some Spanish (though we're a bit rusty now) We're excited to be taking the kids to visit though, will see what we can book...

We stayed self catering in an apartment in the Belgrano district in October this year. It was absolutely fine. Highlights were the zoo and planetarium for our 11 year old BUT nobody spoke any English so I echo the comments above.
There are few supermarkets and we found it difficult to change money till we found a Western Union. We took taxis for transport.

We were there in 2007 so imagine things have changed. I can't remember the hotels but we stayed in townhouse/boutique style places in BA - in Palermo at the start and San Telmo at the end. Both good locations and hotels nice. Looks like more choice these days of that type of place in both locations.

We also stayed at Llao Llao in Bariloche and loved it. We had a night there and then two days camping on a rafting/riding trip (organised by us as was a bit rough and ready for anything Llao Llao might organise!) then a night back at the hotel.

We didn't have long at Iguazu (flew first flight of day from BA, left last flight the next day) so stayed our one night at the Sheraton as its right in the park. That worked really well for us. And would recommend if not staying long.

Great tips, thanks Teds77! Did you have kids with you? I'm wondering how they'll be in a boutique hotel - which is why I thought of some kind of self-catering or apartment. I gather Palermo has a big park so I think we may focus in on that so they can run around a bit before/after flights...