Cocktails at the Faena Hotel+Universe

Sometimes a girl just needs a cocktail in a pretty glass in a gorgeous setting. I mean I love the delicious Argentine red that I drink every night with dinner, but sometimes only a cocktail will do.

So yesterday I met SallyCat and Tina at the Faena Hotel in the Library Bar.



We all separately took planes, trains, and automobiles to get there in its hidden spot on Dique 2 in Puerto Madero. The hotel blends in perfectly with all the old brick warehouses that have been upscaled into fancy condos and restaurants. I wasn't even sure I had found it because it's so exclusive that it doesn't have a sign, apart from a discreet golden "P" above the entrance.















It was freezing in there, so we soon moved outside to the pool area. Sigh.










It was a kind of scavenger hunt to find the bathroom: down down, not a rabbit hole, but a very long, very dark hallway. Finally I had to ask one of the suits that were everywhere. And he opened that door to the men's room (here's a pic). Now if even the staff is confused as to what the subtle letters "W" and "M" stand for, what's a poor foreigner to do? I realized I was in the wrong place when I saw the sparkling row of urinals, but said what the hell, and used a cubicle anyway. It was a Monday afternoon, and the only people in the hotel were the suits anyway.



I'm glad I got to finally see this famous place, designed by the celebrity architect Phillippe Starck. But the truth is, there we were down by the river on a beautiful day, and even at the pool, we were so enclosed. We could have been in downtown Peoria. It's kind of a strange concept, no big lobby, the long dark halls. It's for trendoids, I suppose. Anyway, it's not for me. But it was fun to visit.