Name: Hotel Azul
Address: 724 Sarmiento, Comodoro Rivadavia, Comodoro Rivadavia, Comodoro Rivadavia, 9000, Argentina
Rating: 4

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Wi-Fi

Internet

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At the hotel

General E. Mosconi International Airport

Hotel Azul

Comodoro Rivadavia

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

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shared-bathroom

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limited-time

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treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

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panoramic-view

park-view

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sea-front

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basement

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not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

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pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

15-16/1/18 

We three British middle aged guys were in the first half of our month (January) in Argentina and were trying to tour the south. Unfortunately we had, it seems, not planned well in advance (dodgy wifi in hotels made it difficult, buying a Claro SIM helped at times). As a result we found it difficult to leave Com Riv within three days after arriving by plane very very late on Sunday. Car Hire companies had run out of cars (it is a business town founded in the oil rush of 1906). Coaches and (more) planes were very expensive for the three of us.

After two nights in (the cheaper and good) Hotel Ventia round the corner we had to move for our third night as they were full (we booked each night in advance as car hire 'reservations' fell through). A reccie from Ventia's reception found Azul Hotel in the middle of being renovated but the proprietress offered us the only room she had which was a small room for A$2100 (as written up on the wall). She showed us room 22 on the ground floor at the side in what may have been a courtyard, now covered over.

The room was small and occupied by a double bed with a single bed each side. It was rather stuffy as the only small window looked into the covered courtyard. It was all we could find anyway (internet searches revealed much more expensive rooms - we are budgeting for a whole month). We asked if they took credit cards (as we had little cash and ATM withdrawals are very expensive) and she said yes. We accepted her offer and off we went to collect our friend who was still searching (fruitlessly) for car hire with Ventia's friendly receptionist.

We all returned 15 minutes later at 12:05 to check in properly. The staff seemed friendly enough and we confirmed that breakfast was included (served in the 3rd floor Confiteria Panorama room).

On entering the room it was quite stuffy. Three pairs of towels were laid on each bed. A fitted wardrobe in the corner had no hangers so technically a waste of space so I purloined the two in the single room. There was carpet on floor and up the sides of the built in concrete bed bases so there was a tendency for gathering dirt unless vacuum cleaned (we never heard one vacuum cleaner in any hotel so far). 

There was an actual bathroom shared between our room 22 and the small vacant double room 23. A small lobby was between the rooms, which had its own key to the courtyard. We were given both keys.

As we were still searching for a way out of the town we had go log onto their wifi which was strong and seemed reliable. The room was very quiet (being well away from roads compared to room 8 in Ventia). This was quite welcome and we got used to the stuffiness having the window and door open but there was no fan or A/C unit despite being the most expensive room of our entire trip so far. Furthermore the TV was an analogue 15 inch CRT supplied by a single double electric that served the entire room! Luckily I have a very long lead for our devices so could sit in bed typing this review (so far). This town is certainly not as cheap as we had hoped, and we were forced to stay 3 nights in effect.

On arrival I popped up to the Panoramic Confiteria/breakfast room which was quite pleasant. On our return at around 9pm from the very windy empty beach at Rada Tilly we found a builder laying down the laminate flooring in the hall and drilling so we thought we would pop upstairs for a drink but we found the confiteria open and serving coffees and medialunas. We settled for a coffee (50) each, catchup with Social Media, the Brexit meaningful vote back home and watch the hill change colours at sunset. We were still typing away at 10:45 so we ordered and shared a stack of cheese and ham toasties for 80 (paid by card the next morning). The place got a little busy and after the soft rock channel a dubbed American film was appreciated by a few. We left the confiteria at 00:30 as the man closed up and Michael Caine was rattling away in Spanish in a film about Red Adair.

The bathroom had a shower with foot washing option in the bath, sink, bidet, and loo. Toiletries were lined up as well as spare loo rolls. A hook was over the bath and one by the door but they were the only ones in the rooms (better than most we have seen!). There was a chrome and glass mirrored bathroom cabinet over the sink (another first so far) but there was only a central lamp to light the bathroom with the ubiquitous (unsafe?) switch socket inside the door.

Overnight we went to bed at around 12:40, tapped away some more till 01:20 and went to sleep, sleeping well as the room was quiet (albeit someone else arriving to another room and talking at 02:00). No problem. The beds were firm and well dressed with blankets over the sheets and sold pillows. Up at 09:10 for a real (and rare) hot bath (we brought our own set of plugs as none ever provided) then down to breakfast.

Breakfast at 09:15 was in the quite busy confiteria, served at the table by another family member no doubt. She asked what we wanted, made it up and served each of us a coffee (or hot milk with chocolate powder), small basket of grilled rounds of toast, a medialunas and a variety of the usual (for us on a budget) packaged butter, jam, dulce de lecce and soft cheese. This is the first time we had for breakfast a real machine made espresso style coffee so far (as opposed to filter coffee stewing in a dispenser) and was the same machine as the night before. The TV on the wall quietly sung away on the 'Encuentro' rock music channel (as it had done the evening before).

We finished, packed and left before checkout time of 11, leaving our bags behind the desk whilst we explored the town a bit more, popping into the informative free Railway and Port Museum. The museum up the hill was closed indefinitely and the cultural centre had no exhibits apart from noisy school groups painting happy faces on big biscuits (the restaurant deal looked good but we had eaten lunch in the posh (TA unlisted Puerto Cangrejo - one less review to do for the most expensive meal so far) seaside restaurant with tablecloths.

In terms of our escape from Com Riv on Tuesday afternoon we did manage to simultaneously book (at the coach station) the last three seats on a coach to San Julian for the next day and quickly after (checking just before booking the coach) the last room in the only affordable (just - Hosteria La Casa de Ketty) hotel in San Julian; phew! We then went to Rada Tilly to relax. I am just finishing editing this review and posting whilst awaiting the coach to San Julian (after picking up our small rucksacks from the friendly and cheerful receptionists).



Basic hotel with internal rooms round enclosed courtyard stuffy. Being renovated slowly.Basic BF in nice dining room.

Hotel Azul

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