Minimalism, torsos and tango: it must be Argentina's first luxury gay hotel

[TotallyOz]

The receptionists are slender young men in sleek suits, the brochure features chiselled male torsos, the rooms are soundproofed and stocked with condoms and every now and then Judy Garland croons in the bar: welcome to Latin America's first luxury gay hotel.

The Axel Hotel opens for business today in the heart of Argentina's capital, and it claims to be the first of its kind in a country famed more for machismo and Catholicism than overt homosexuality.

The £3.5m five-storey complex has been conceived and designed as an out and proud celebration of gay identity and sexuality, said Nacho Rodriguez, the general manager. "This hotel is not just gay-friendly. It is gay."

From the open-plan design and transparent elevators - "we have nothing to hide", said Mr Rodriguez - to the contemporary and minimalist decor, the low-fat restaurant menu, the rainbow lighting, the four types of soap, everything is intended to appeal to the hotel's vision of a body-conscious guest.

Male tango dancers and drag queens will perform at an inauguration party tonight to which 1,000 people have been invited, creating a buzz of expectation about which public figures will show up.

The hotel, aimed squarely at gay men, not women, is the second opened by the Axel group, a Spanish company which started its maiden one in Barcelona in 2003. Named after a former boyfriend of the founder, Juan Julia Blanch, the group plans rapid expansion. It declares itself "hetero-friendly", meaning straight people are welcome but as a discreet minority.

The move to Latin America is a sign that a continent once marked by conservatism and homophobia is liberalising, albeit slowly and unevenly. Colombia has recognised gay rights and Venezuela has outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Argentina blazed the way with a law allowing civil unions among homosexuals which has helped make Buenos Aires Latin America's gay capital. Long famed for its stylish residents, vibrant social scene and European-style architecture, it has discovered the power of the pink pound, euro and dollar.

Argentina's 2001 financial meltdown devalued the peso, making the city a bargain to foreigners and giving local businesses an incentive to attract a lucrative niche market. Some 300,000 gay visitors are estimated to spend £300m here each year.

Last month the city hosted the 10th Gay World Cup soccer tournament, a first for South America, and next month it will host the first gay tango festival, Tango Queer.

The Axel Hotel, located in the bohemian San Telmo district, styles itself as the jewel in Buenos Aires's gay crown. "This is the most open city in Latin America. It is very happy to have us and we are very happy to be here," said Mr Rodriguez.

Neighbours welcomed the new arrival. "Gays are refined and aesthetic and that's what we're looking for," said Paula Repetto, curator of a sex-themed gallery, So Much Desire, opposite the hotel. Apartment block residents said the hotel would boost property values.

Rates for the 48 rooms range from £90 to £275 a night, pricey by local standards, but most were booked up for the next few months, said Mr Rodriguez.

No details have been spared: futuristic furniture by Charles and Ray Eames, Mies van der Rohe and Eileen Gray, a garden pool lined with transparent shower cubicles, a spa pool suspended over the lobby as a transparent roof, and deck chairs positioned in front of gym equipment. If you like to watch men stretching, bending, straining, sweating, soaping and swimming you are in the right place.

The restaurant has a calorie-conscious menu and the bar offers health drinks as well as cocktails. The music is defined as "chillout", with a bias towards 1980s tunes as well as the occasional Judy Garland classic.

Rooms are stocked with condoms and a card which says "Have Fun". The brochure shows two muscled, naked men clinched in apparent bliss. Another photo shows a guest in a bathrobe studying his partner in the shower.

"This place is going to be a hit," said Jean-Laurent Julieno, a reporter with the French website Citegay.com who was invited to the launch. "A good vibe and intimate. The sort of place where you can make friends."

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/travel/guardian/f...-be-argent.html

[msclelovr]

I've no argument with this posting but, based on my experience of having stayed at the Axel Hotel in Barcelona many times and having visited Buenos Aires 8 times in the last 3 years, I'd bring 4 points to your attention

1. the rooms as described above seem very similar to the rooms in Barcelona - chic but not luxurious

2. all hotels in Buenos Aires are gay-friendly and as sex-work is legal, visitors to a room are permitted after showing their ID at reception; even the "love-hotels" that rent rooms by the hour are gay-friendly - I guess this is partly because of the influx of gay tourists and partly because there is a non-discrimination law in Buenos Aires province

3. San Telmo, where the Axel Hotel is located, is a picturesque but mixed area of Buenos Aires. I have been to restaurants there for lunch and dinner and, like every other tourist, I've visited the Sunday antiques market. Locals have however warned me to be alert to pickpockets in the busy main streets and to muggings in the darker, narrow side-streets

4. The price of the rooms in San Telmo (mentioned above) is about double what you would pay for a room in a good hotel in Recoleta, the smartest area. Please note that there is also a tax of 21% due on top of the stated room-rates.