Faena Buenos Aires

Character and identity

Behind a discreet red brick facade in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires's redeveloped waterfront district, Faena pulls off a theatrical interior swerve: Philippe Starck's collaboration with owner Alan Faena delivers red velvet curtains, black marble, rose-tinted glass, bejeweled unicorn heads and firetruck red leather sofas, with doormen in top hats and tails. The 98 rooms tone the drama down with red, white and gold, swan-armed leather chairs, and glass-walled bathrooms. Two restaurants, the white-and-gold Bistro Sur and the adobe-oven-driven El Mercado, anchor the dining, while El Cabaret stages nightly tango and the Library Lounge functions as the social hub.

Who's it for

Bottom line

This is a design-led scene hotel first and a luxury hotel second: you're paying for Starck's theatre, the pool deck's bedazzled crown, El Cabaret and the Puerto Madero address, not for restrained classicism. Book it if that sounds like fun, choose a room with the curtained glass bathroom for the full effect, and aim for the warmer months when the pool scene is in full swing.