Club Tapiz

Hotel description

Foreigners curious about South America have been making the pilgrimage to Buenos Aires for years, but the wine capital of Mendoza is now emerging as an equally popular destination. The air is dry, the grapes are flourishing, the Andes rise dramatically at the city’s edge, and the accommodations generally consist of rustic estancias (ranches) and wine lodges. But that’s changing, as forward-thinking hotels like Club Tapiz open their doors to a style-conscious wine-loving public.

New Age Hotels, the creative minds behind several successful boutiques in the capital city and in the north of Argentina, bring style and sophistication to the Malbec region with this petite seven-room hotel. Surrounded by vineyards and housed in a Renaissance-style estate that dates to 1890, Club Tapiz retains the pine floors, tiled patio, exposed brick, and elegant proportions of the original structure, adding contemporary features from spotless and huge picture windows to a state-of-the-art tasting space. Facing out onto the central courtyard, the minimalist but comfortable guest rooms are dressed in earthy, understated hues and plush linens.

It’s a bit of a trek from the city center: if you’re looking for restaurants and cultural activities within walking distance, Club Tapiz might not be your place. But this boutique is more like a self-sufficient little compound, with evening wine tastings, a classy restaurant, bicycles for the taking, and a pretty swimming pool. The feel here is intimate and chic — you can tell that city-dwellers thought this place up — but at the end of the day, Club Tapiz is nothing if not laid-back.