Arroyo Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Once just another soulless shell in the bustling Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Retiro, a 1980s concrete high-rise has been transformed into a chic hotel by design duo Cecilia Nigro and Mariana Rapoport (of local agency The Wow Factor) and architects Miguel Florio and Dolores Biocca. Set over 10-storeys, the 77-room, family-owned property - now in the hands of second generation filmmaker Javier Nir and his sister Fabiana - is a soft, cosy and calmly utilitarian haven dotted with bespoke pieces by up-and-coming Argentine artists and fitted with a mixture of modern classics and furnishings by the hippest porteño designers. The chinaberry-panelled guestrooms have custom-made zig zag wool carpets and Acapulco chairs, while the lobby is a flexible continuum of café, breakfast room and working area, highlighted by a 10 x 4 metre tropical mural painted by artist Eloisa Ballivian over a period of two months.