The Axel is a gay hotel advertised as "heterofriendly". This property, only 4 months old when I was there, is both delightful and relaxing. With a staff always ready and willing to assist with tour options, sightseeing tips and restaurant reservations there was never a doubt about their meeting and exceeding my expectations. The hotel has a beautiful outdoor pool area with tiered sunning areas and an outdoor dining area. On the top floor is a small indoor lap pool, steam room and sauna plus a roof-top sunning area. The rooms are large and airy with either a pool or street view. Definitely a place I would return to again.

All round they did a nice job with the Axel in Buenos Aires. The rest of the neighborhood could still use some rehab, but it is still a very safe area.

Inside the place is wonderful. The Sky Bar has an outdoor swimming pool and tanning area. Bar and restaurant service is excellent, good food too. In general food prices in Buenos Aires are very reasonable. Front desk staff is also good, entire service staff seemed to be English speakers (much better than Buenos Aires as a whole).

Very modern room decor, I've stayed at the Axel in Barcelona and thought that the Axel in BA had a cleaner look. I'd go back any time I return to Buenos Aires.

I know that several people have reviewed the Axel Hotel in BA from the perspective of a tourist, I stayed there in late January as a business traveler and have the following comments:

What I liked most:

* Extremely helpful and friendly staff: when I needed help in arranging ground transportation for a meeting in Rosario, they connected me to a reputable and dependable car service that I wound up using for the entire length of my stay. The waiters and bartenders are motivated to work there and enjoy talking with guests.
* Fantastic chef and kitchen: I really believe that the restaurant at the Axel is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. The chef makes bold and provocative decisions about flavors and pairings that are not found in other restaurants I've eaten at in Buenos Aires.
*Stylish decor and great outdoor pool/deck area - very W Hotel-esque.

What can be improved:

*Adding a small desk with lamp & appropriate office chair in guest rooms: there are plenty of options for stylish yet functional office furniture, and it would have been great to have had work space that accomodated my needs.
*Better gym equipment: there is room to add more/better weight machines in the fitnesss center; two of the machines were broken and were not repaired in the four days that I stayed there.
*Partnership program with major airlines: it would be nice to earn miles through some airline affiliation program.

Several other reviews that I read commented on the San Telmo neighborhood where the hotel is located and yes, it does get rough and it's not pretty: I walked past a major homeless encampment about 4-5 blocks away from the hotel, but walk in the opposite direction and soon you are at a little square with a Puma clothing store, a gym, several banks, etc. and I felt at ease in this part of the neighborhood.

While there are more luxurious and business-friendly hotel options to be found in Buenos Aires, overall I am happy that I made the choice to support a gay-owned and marketed hotel. I know that the hotel management reads reviews on Trip Advisor and I hope that they consider my suggestions.

We just returned from a stay at Axel BA and found the accommodations to be top notch and the staff to be helpful and knowledgeable, with a great sense of humor. This property just opened in October 2007, and after working out initial challenges referred to by previous comments posted, it was in a great state during out visit this past week.

The design is very modern and at times borders on the absurd - exactly the kind of design that is fun to visit. I have stayed at many boutique and Tablet hotels around the world and Axel ranks at the most modern and severe in its design. If you like minimal than this is a good choice for you. The beds are well appointed and the common areas of the hotel are immaculate and very chic.

The Axel's neighborhood of Montserrat, near San Telmo, has some great restaurants and is really coming along in what it has to offer tourists. It is a great way to see the city and its colonial roots and is really good for those that like to bargain hunt and for those that want to get a feel for what it is like to live in a real urban neighborhood of Buenos Aires. The close proximity to Avenida Defensa antique shopping was a big plus - there were also many unique and edgy designer and consignment shops to explore. That being said, if you would like a more polished and commercial view on the city I would recommend Palermo's Viejo, Hollywood, or Soho.

As for it being a gay hotel, it was really great to have a LGBT centered hub to come back to in BA. Sometimes it was hard to plug into the gay community otherwise and my partner and I were thankful to connect with so many other travelers from around the world and to have an inside track to all the goings on via the friendly staff. There is also a great night life scene on site at the pool and sky bars of Axel.

I highly recommend this hotel.