Cheerful B&B host in Buenos Aires

By Susan Purcell

On a trip to Argentina that my husband, Jerry, and I made with another couple in October ’12, the experience would not have been nearly as rewarding had I not followed the advice of some ITN readers (April ’06, pg. 58; Nov. ’06, pg. 55, et al.) who, for anyone spending time in Buenos Aires, strongly recommended B&B Olleros 3000* (Olleros 3000 Colegiales, Buenos Aires, 1426, Argentina; phone 54 0 11 4554 7269, fax 4554 1097), located at the intersection of Olleros and Zapiola. 

The proprietress, Claudine Van Hemelryk, was great to work with, answering all of my questions via email. The room cost was about $100 per night. We stayed four nights. 

Claudine reserved a limo for us from the airport ($60). Arriving in Buenos Aires, all we had to do was go to the desk, give our name and pay and we were on our way. The drive was quite a distance, only about 25% of it on the freeway.

B&B Olleros 3000 is right on the edge of the Palermo Hollywood neighborhood. It’s a cozy home and has been beautifully renovated by Claudine’s architect husband, Juan.

It has two guest bedrooms, each with private bath, although one is not en suite. The rooms are modern, with good showers, comfortable beds, flat-screen TVs, wireless Internet and A/C. However, there’s a circular staircase but no lift. (She has other properties without stairs.)

We found Claudine to be a delightful host. She had city maps and other information available, and her assistance and advice were invaluable. 

She booked us taxis (most 15- to 20-minute taxi rides cost $10 for the four of us), tours and dinner or tango show reservations with trusted companies and taught us how to identify counterfeit money, how to look out for scams, how to navigate the subway, etc. She also recommended a guide to organize the rest of our 3-week trip.

There are a lot of great neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, and, while B&B Olleros 3000 is not exactly where all of the action is, Claudine’s cheerful personality and her advice and genuine concern for our safety more than made up for any slight inconvenience. Besides, the taxis were really cheap, and the subway was not far away.

If readers have any questions, I can be reached via e-mail c/o ITN.

SUSAN PURCELL

Troy, MI

*[B&B Olleros 3000 has closed. See this item in the May 2014 Boarding Pass column. —Editor]