The
Mihanovich Tower,
at 800 Arroyo, in Retiro, once again housed a five-star hotel after
being closed for seven years.
Starting this week, the building that was thought to be a lighthouse of the City, and is one of the icons of Buenos Aires architecture, became the
Casa Lucía
hotel , belonging to a chain of Spanish origin.
The business group, which manages five other hotels in Spain (two in Madrid, another two in Mallorca and one more in Torrent, north of Barcelona), rented the building for 20 years to the
Bencich family
.
The opening was in 1928, and between that year and the beginning of 2000 it was a residential building because the Bencichs never subdivided it;
It always remained as a family asset.
Then the major remodeling work was done that allowed it to be transformed into a hotel.
Thus,
it was Sofitel until 2017 and then it was closed.
The Mihanovich building, in addition to being a beacon for the Retiro neighborhood, has a grandeur that makes it unique: it is made up of three blocks, two of them - six stories high - facing the Arroyo front.
And the third is the tower.
This
retreat towards the heart of the block and its 80 meters high can be seen from Puerto Nuevo.
The Austro-Hungarian shipping businessman
Nicolás Mihanovich
wanted his tower - conceived as a real estate investment - to stand out from the ravine in which it is located.
He commissioned the design to architects Calvo Jacobs & Giménez;
and the construction, to the Bencichs.
The new front of the Casa Lucía Hotel, former Sofitel, in Retiro.
Mihanovich Tower, from the air.
Photo courtesy of Hotel Casa Lucía
Everything was linked
through an internal, cobblestone street
.
For the major renovation that was carried out at the beginning of 2000, it was roofed and the hotel reception was located there.
But one of the big changes in the current work is that the reception is moved inward;
and in what was this internal street is the enormous bar of the bar -Le Club Bacan-
with public access.
Returning to Casa Lucía, it is not the first time that Unico restores properties of heritage value to turn them into a hotel;
In the "golden mile" area of Salamanca, one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Madrid, they have a boutique hotel in a 19th century mansion.
Another big change is that the monumental iron doors in front, with two leaves, will be open.
Because pedestrian entry is prioritized.
Also on the ground floor is the restaurant, called Cantina.
Unlike Sofitel, now, Casa Lucía arrives in a neighborhood that presents another present.
On Arroyo Street, and in the rest of the neighborhood, recently new ventures that were not there were added and changed the appearance and circulation.
Mihanovich Tower, from the sky (circa 1928).
For example, between 900 and 800 Arroyo there are
four cafes
: The Shelter, Gitán, M Kafee and Kissaten Tostador.
Two restaurants: Farinelli and Rotisería Atlántico.
A wine shop and wine bar: Pro.Vin.Cia.
And Tato Giovannoni's bar, Florería Atlántico.
A few meters away, above Suipacha, another bar -Los Jardíns de las Barquin- has just been inaugurated in the Spanish courtyard of the Fernández Blanco Museum.
The remodeling of the building, according to the information provided by the company, was directed by the firm Torrado Arquitectos, while Fernanda Schuch Studios was in charge of the design of the interiors, which have contemporary furniture.
In addition, in the rooms there are works by the Argentine artist Cristián Mohaded, whose work is exhibited in the Philadelphia Museum of Art or the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris.
Finally, most of the 142 rooms offer privileged views of the City.
And some even have balconies with outdoor showers, hammocks and a dining room.
As for prices, a deluxe room for two people costs around $400.
The two low buildings that precede the main tower.
Photo German Garcia Adrasti
Shower, tables and armchairs on the balconies of the tower.
Image courtesy of Hotel Casa Lucía
The views from the top of the tower.
Photo German Garcia Adrasti
S.C.