As we watch the Americas—including the Caribbean—dominate all the track & field sprints in the Olympics, let’s take a break to check out some luxury travel news for the region.

In Brazil’s biggest city, a much-needed subway expansion is finally in motion. They’ve got a long way to go to really ease congestion though. Their metro has 71 kms of track for 19 million people compared to 200 kms for Mexico City. Even Santiago’s is 40% bigger. A planned Line 4 extension will add five more stations though to the recently opened stops. Alas, not in time for the 2014 World Cup though. See the full article from the Economist here: Not yet fit for a metropolis.

Mexico tourism is on track to set a record this year for both the number of visitors and overall revenues, based on how the first six months went.

Luxury retail spending was down 26% in the second quarter of this year, after a smaller decline in the first quarter. Affluent households have previously been the bright spot during this recession, but while they still seem to be traveling, they’re not plunking down as much on handbags and watches.

Magazine publishers are crying the blues as well. As more readers and advertisers gravitate to digital, paper is suffering. “Vogue, Vanity Fair, Lucky and Allure all experienced double-digit declines for Condé Nast” says this article and most others were lucky to have “only” a single-digit decline for the first half of the year.

Argentina’s import restrictions are hitting the Buenos Aires luxury market hard. All the red tape and bureaucracy have led to permanent or months-long closures of stores from Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Cartier, and Ermenegildo Zegna. We can only imagine the effect this is having on hotels as well if they’re trying to import French toiletries or the latest electronics.

We don’t cover troubled Venezuela on Luxury Latin America, but congrats to fencer Rubin Limardo who won the country its first gold Olympics medal in 44 years.

I’ve run some blog posts before on the most popular luxury hotel reviews on our site and which tour stories are getting the most action. It varies a lot from month to month depending on what’s getting press elsewhere and when it’s vacation time in a specific place.

February’s a month when a lot of people have getaways on their mind though, so I thought it would be fun to see which articles got the most action last month. It’s a mixed bag for sure – though quite a few of you have Ambergris Caye, Belize on your mind!

11) Luxury real estate in Cancun, Cozumel, and the Riviera Maya

10) Cliffs Preserve review – Chile

9) Getting pampered in the spas of Argentina

8) Trekking lodge to lodge to Machu Picchu in Peru

7) Playa Vik hotel review – Uruguay

6) Azul Resort review – Belize

5) Cayo Espanto review – Belize

4) Exploring the Coffee Triangle of Colombia

3) Mata Chica Beach Resort review – Belize

2) Hotel El Garzon – Uruguay

1) Luxury real estate in Cuenca, Ecuador

I’ve traveled with and reviewed a few iPhone apps on here before. Luxury Latin America contributor Zora O’Neill has out one called Cool Cancun & Isla Mujeres (here’s my review) and contributor Christopher Baker has out one for Costa Rica.

These were both published by a company called Sutro Media and that’s also the case with the latest one I’ve been checking out: Argentina Travel Adventures. It’s from Wayne Bernhardson, who has spent 30 years traveling in Argentina and Chile. He does the Moon guides for those countries, has a home in Argentina, speaks Spanish fluently, and has an Argentine wife. So yes, he knows what he’s talking about.

The app is full of inside information and filtered advice on lots of essentials like airports, taxis, and attractions. There are categories on architecture, art & culture, museums, festivals, nightlife, and plenty more. The wildlife section has pictures and descriptions, the restaurant section gives you a sense of what to expect and will lead you to places that have stood the test of time. Click the listing for Cafe Tortini and you get a great description and a photo plus their address (with a map link), a phone number, opening hours, and even a Wikipedia link. So if you know what you’re looking for and the place is included in this app, you’re all set.

The problem is, what if it’s not included? By their very nature, these apps only include a tiny fraction of what you’ll find in a guidebook. That’s fine if you’re looking for filtered results and a quickie description, but not so great if you want more choices or more depth. While I’m sure the 8 wineries highlighted, for example, are quite worth a visit, they represent a tiny fraction of what’s out there. (I visited more than that just in Cafayate, for instance—all open to the public.)

The hotel listings are a mixed jumble of budget ranges and places all thrown together on one scrolling page. It literally goes from Alvear Palace in  Buenos Aires to an obscure kelp-collecting village to a winery with a 2-room guesthouse in Mendoza. If you want to see the best options in one specific destination, you have to click on the sluggish map and drill down.

So maybe the better question is, “Will an app be good enough?” After all, at $2.99 for this Argentina app, you can hardly complain that it’s not comprehensive enough or lacks structure. For people who just want the basics in their pocket and will get sleepy reading more than three paragraphs at a time, this collection of bite-sized nuggets will be perfect. You get the filtered recommendations from an expert without having to make any decisions from a long menu of options. It adds zero ounces to your bag or pocket and is with you even when you’re not carrying a daypack. And no need to look like a lost tourist holding a guidebook: you’re just playing around on your smart phone!

If you want to dig deeper though and have some context instead of just a list of things to click on, I’d recommend upgrading to his books Moon Handbook Argentina for $17 paperback/$13 Kindle, Moon Handbook Buenos Aires for $15 paperback/$9 Kindle, or Moon Patagonia for $22 paperback/$10 Kindle instead.

Also note that there’s no Android version of this app for now, which always seems kind of odd given Android’s higher (and growing) market share over the Apple system. I’m told it’s on the way though.

Here at Luxury Latin America, we don’t just post a hotel review and then forget about it. When it has been a few years and the place has gone through some changes, we like to give it another spin and see how things look now.

Our latest update in Buenos Aires (following the Four Seasons recently) is Faena Hotel + Universe. This is a polarizing hotel that never fails to get a reaction from guests and that reaction is seldom middle-of-the-road. People either think this is the coolest hotel ever (including plenty of touring rock bands that have seen a lot of hotels) or they think it’s pretentious and annoying. Take stock of what camp you’re likely to fall into before booking here. If you’re the type that likes traditional decor and predictability, go to Alvear Palace or Four Seasons. If you’re the type that identifies with Entourage and shows up to check into a $600 hotel wearing flip-flops, come on in!

“While the forward-thinking Faena is undeniably not the perfect hotel for every type of guest, it has to be noted that it is not exactly trying to be. It unapologetically holds to the vision of creating unforgettable stays for open-minded, creative types who are more than willing to pay some of the highest hotel prices in Buenos Aires for the chance to play in this fantasyland universe.”

So go check out the details and if reading about this place gets you excited, then we can promise you a delightful experience, with help from your personal “experience manager” even. Review of Faena Hotel and Universe.

See more options for luxury travel in Argentina.

When most people think of Mendoza, Argentina, they think of the city itself and the surrounding vineyards. Mendoza is actually the name of the whole province too, however, and it’s a very large one. The grape clusters spread far beyond the capital and to San Rafael, 240 kilometers away. There you’ll find Algodon Wine Estate and Champions Club.

This is an intimate resort favored by those who really want to feel they’re away from it all and will have plenty of space to roam. With just seven suites and a villa, personal service is assured. There’s no shortage of facilities though. Besides the on-site winery, there’s a 9-hole golf course that will later have 18 holes, plus “tennis players have their choice of 7 clay courts, 1 hard court, and 2 grass courts to practice on.” You can sip Algodon wine by the pool, enjoying the sunshine in an area that’s seldom without it.

There are plenty of excursions nearby for those who want it, like wine route biking, fly fishing, rafting, or winter skiing at Las Leñas.

Just as with Algodon Mansion in Buenos Aires, staying here you will likely rub shoulders with the movers and shakers of Argentine society, but here the shoulders will be bare—or at least relaxed.

See our full detailed review of Algodon Wine and Golf Estate in Mendoza.

[Photo © Algodon Wine Estates]

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