What's Nuevo in Buenos Aires

The rooms: The 11 rooms are done in soothing creams, pale greens, and sky blues, and furnished very simply with carefully chosen antiques. Tabletop light columns and striped throw pillows add a modern edge. Pablo's mother, Celia, makes sure there are fresh flowers in each room.

Plus: The second-floor deck, with lounge chairs and a hot tub, is the perfect spot to enjoy a glass of malbec. Bring one up from the wine bar on the ground floor.

Krista Hotel (Courtesy Krista Hotel) [enlarge photo] OCTOBER 2006 ISSUE • Table of Contents • 2006 Extra Mile Awards • There's Something About Sydney • Lijiang: Forgotten Kingdom • Trip Coach: Costa Rica Eco-Trip • 40 Best Vacations

Minus: The hotel is fully booked until November 1 with a private party. (A big star is holed up there, but the owner won't say who it is.)

Details: Baez 248, 011-54/11-4773-0901, 248finisterra.com, from $115, including breakfast.

THE COCKER 

'Hood: San Telmo, the oldest barrio in B.A. It's known as the birthplace of tango and famous for the Sunday-morning antiques fair in Plaza Dorrego.

First impression: When it came to naming their hotel, English expat couple Ian Spink and Aidan Pass thought of their beloved three-year-old cocker spaniel, Rocco. The Cocker opened in June, and everything about it reflects the creative and fun-loving personalities of its owners.

The rooms: Numbered for important dates in the owners' lives, the five rooms have double-height ceilings and French doors that lead to lovely terraces. Room 19-03 (Aidan's birthday) has a four-poster bed below a glass-walled loft bathroom. Doors lead to a private garden filled with evergreens, rosemary, and thyme.

Plus: This winter (summer in Argentina), the Cocker will debut a roof terrace. Guests will sip cocktails while watching art films projected onto the neighboring building. The deck also offers panoramic views of the city.

Minus: Rooms have small European-style wet rooms: There are no bathtubs, and showers aren't partitioned off from the sink and toilet areas.

Details: Juan de Garay 458, 011-54/11-4362-8451, thecocker.com, from $70, including breakfast.