Tango Backpackers Hostel

I stayed at Tango for about a week in March 2004. This hostel really has two sides, party and rest, and I wish I could rank the two separately. On the party side, it's one of the best places I'd stayed. It's what hostels are all about: meeting fellow travelers, arranging to go out, and exploring Buenos Aires together. The roof terrace is great for socializing, and the owners organize frequent barbecues there. The location is also great, with a few bars and the clubs of Palermo within a walking distance. On the rest side, however, the hostel is one of the worst. Forget about sleeping there. Some rooms are facing the noisy street, and with open windows you might as well be in the middle of an intersection. People constantly come and go, and the owners tend to relocate hapless tenants from bed to bed for no apparent reason, usually while you sleep. The mattresses are absolutely dreadful — sagging, filthy and barely holding together. So really, it's up to you what you prefer. For me, it was a good starting point to discover Buenos Aires, but I wouldn't stay here again. This old hag does need an occasional night of sleep.