i´ve been coming to buenos aires for work and pleasure for years and i was sold on short-term apt rentals from get-go; 1) more space including a kitchen so you can eat healthier and cheaper 2) most apts are located in residential areas so you get a real local flavor, meet the portenos and their neighborhoods, 3) early check in and late check out is standard, with most foreign flights arriving in the early morning and departing in the late evening, you won´t be homeless for hours like you would with a hotel. if your stay is five days or longer, i recommend renting an apt due to the great value even if you´re dividing the weekly rate by five.
the downsides to apartment rentals should be considered along with the benefits. there are heaps of companies renting apts in BA and each time i visit, it seems that more have sprouted up. i know the downsides all too well; 1) the rental unit is not as nice as advertised or is a completely different unit. 2) you don´t get all of your deposit back. deposits are usually the same as the rent and are usually paid in cash. given that check-out is usually a few hours before your flight home, you have little leverage if there is supposedly something missing ("i swear i didn't pack that spaghetti strainer") or damaged from your apt, or just extra surprise fees like cleaning charges or a yanqui surcharge. 3) with a hotel, you know that at least there is a physical building and a manager on site, with a short-term rental, there may be none of the above. some short-term rental firms are run by someone at a random computer and "their" apartments are simply posted online to draw in tourists and they may not even have a relationship, not to mention a contract with the landlords of these apts. scattered throughout the city.
for example, i once showed up at a building to check into my apt. there was no agent as promised and when i went up to the apartment, i was surprised to find other tourists staying in my unit and they had rented it for weeks longer. after a few phones calls and waiting around, someone finally showed and said they had another unit for me way across town. i refused to accept the "bait and switch" tactic and after arguing for the return of my deposit, i ended up leaving with no deposit and no place to stay. as for any consumer rights as you have in your home country. from my dealings with the tourist police, forget it, they make the keystone cops look like the FBI.
after learning through the school of hard knocks, i finally found a rental firm that runs a professional, ethical and well priced business throughout argentina and uruguay. they have an office in the heart of recoleta and their bilingual staff can also help you out with any tourist type problem or issue you might encounter. i have stayed at apartments with reynolds propiedades nearly ten times now and i've never had any problem and i have always received my full deposit back. i live in the US and i find it safe and easy to book online via http://www.reynoldspropiedades.com
buen viaje,
dan arrowood
mtnhombre@aol.com
