Huentala Hotel

Such a convenient spot in Mendoza, and the downtown is unbelievably nice. It's safe, and whatever you need is close by.

We found Huentala enchanting. It's elegant in an old-world way, with dim lighting, a boutique feel, an excellent staff, and rooms fitted out beautifully with lovely linens. Our corner room on the top floor was spacious and had a balcony. People mention the view, which is basically another building, since the hotels are all connected. The setup was confusing when I looked at the website, so here's how the hotels relate. Huentala is in the middle, with a more old-fashioned Italian feel. The connected hotel on the right is the modern Sheraton, where you'll find the casino, large pool and spa. The hotel on the left is the one with unlimited wine. Huentala doesn't include free wine, though breakfast is included, and you get it at the hotel on the left, where the wine is too. It's like one huge building split into three hotel interiors, or perhaps buildings joined by knocking down walls, I'm not sure. You don't have to go outside to reach the others. Huentala has an elegant restaurant, plus a separate bar in the lobby. The lobby staff can help you get a drink and can see the bar from their desk. There's also a small shop that's not always open, but someone in the lobby can open it for you. The bathroom had a tub, which someone complained about, but it's modern and has a very nice shower as well. We liked it. The hotel also has a pool, but it's not great, and getting to the other pool is a hike through the building, then up an elevator and escalator. I'm a real pool baby, and would've liked to take the elevator from our floor in a towel to a good pool in the same building. I didn't feel comfortable walking through the bright, busy Sheraton in a towel or robe, especially with the casino. Once there, the pool area was nice and serene, but it was too far to pop up whenever I wanted. You can pay extra for the all-you-can-drink wine at the neighboring sister hotel. That medium-sized upcharge felt a bit cheesy, since it's right there and connected. A $20 fee would've seemed reasonable, but it cost more. Huentala owns the vineyard, so I don't think giving its guests access for a reasonable fee would be any skin off their back, or that people would take advantage. We were out most of the day, so didn't want to pay a lot just to get a couple of glasses from the dispenser. That was another reason for my four stars instead of five. Would we return? Maybe. We might try the hotel on the left that has the all-you-can-drink wine, though I didn't get to look at its rooms. If we could book the same Huentala room, the top-floor corner with the balcony, I'd definitely prefer staying here again. Please see all of the photos.

We'd stayed here before and would likely return if we go back to Mendoza. It's a great boutique hotel in the heart of the city. Our room was very nice, and breakfast was pretty good. The hotel has a lovely scent, which I was told is somewhat infused. There's no gym onsite, but I was able to use the Sheraton next door.

We live in Mendoza and had dinner at the Garden restaurant. The goat cheese sorrentinos and the rucula, blue cheese and watermelon salad were really fresh and delicious. We had Absolute, basil crush cocktails too. The place has a pretty ambience, the property's waiters gave fantastic service, and it was very good value. We'll be back!