Cordoba Cuatro Cientos Cinco. That is where I told the taxi driver to go when I was heading home after the first show with The Rolling Stones when I saw them live at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina back in 1998. Eighteen years ago. The Lancaster Hotel on Cordoba 405 was my favorite home back in 1998, same during the next tour to Argentina in 2006, and then now in 2016 with three great shows at the Estadio Unico in La Plata. The Lancaster Hotel on Cordoba 405 in Buenos Aires is such a lovely place, I just have to tell you about my love for this great place!
These days The Lancaster is part of the NH Hotels chain, with the official web pages NH Collection Buenos Aires Lancaster Hotel, Av. Cordoba 405, Buenos Aires, Argentina. With more than five hundred hotels in Buenos Aires, it was pure luck I found this gem of a hotel. I was actually booked into another hotel. As I arrived back in 1998, to the other hotel, my only requirement was to be able to plug in a telephone plug into the wall, so that I could connect to Internet, to do my work. But… the hotel I had booked had a hardwired telephone, like many other hotels had in the 90’s. So I said sorry, I have to go, and out into the Buenos Aires streets with my “local guy” and friend Roy. We found The Lancaster, I could connect my telephone plug, magic, I booked into my first stay, and I stayed.
In 1998 I had a telephone bill that was larger than my stay. I connected to an internet number in Zurich Switzerland, and my total phone bill was around US dollar 1,500 back then. Without Internet I can’t do my work so there was no option. As for the area, I soon fell in love with Cafe La Barra, just across the street, on Cordoba 484. There I met most of the IORR members who contacted me in 1998, we talked about the passion for the Stones, and I was surprised to see that almost every Stones fan I met in Argentina was in the age of 18-26 or so!
When The Rolling Stones did two shows at River Plate Stadium during their 2006 tour, I was back into Buenos Aires, and of course the Lancaster Hotel. This time they had wireless internet, but it did not work in my room, so I was sitting in the lobby with my PC working every day. It was probably a strange sight, me with my headphones, sitting by this little old fashioned working table right across the reseption. But I managed to do my work, and see the shows. And the Lancaster Hotel was even a greater place to stay. I loved it!
Then the Stones announced shows in La Plata during February 2016. I did not know what to do. Book a hotel in La Plata? No. I wanted to be in Buenos Aires, and again at Cordoba 405. So I had nine great days at the Lancaster, with good friends Juha, Hendrik and Roderick also staying at the same hotel, plus Terje was a frequent visitor to our Cafe La Barra lunch and dinner time Stones meetings. I could stay there for hours. Quilmes Cerveza, great food, great friends, great Stones days.
Internet at Lancaster Hotel in 2016? Well, I was surprised to see that I had 100% power on the Interten in my room. Looking under my table, I noticed there was a wireless transmitter! I was in Internet heaven. Also, the reseption, the breakfast area, the halls and the entire hotel was renovated, in such a great shape, with flower decorations. Everything you need to enjoy the stay. Thank you for nine great days in Buenos Aires. Whenevere I return to BA, I will stay at The Lancaster Hotel…
