In the Microcentro, the independently operated V&S Hostel Club (Viamonte 887, tel./fax 011/4322-0994 or 011/4327-5131, www.hostelclub.com, US$11–19 pp dorm, US$65 s or d) has both dorms and rooms with private baths. The century-old structure has central heating, air-conditioning, and large, attractive common areas that include a kitchen, a dining room, and a parrilla for barbecues.

It’s not quite the design hostel it aspires to be, but San Telmo’s Ostinatto Hostel (Chile 680, tel. 011/4362-9639, www.ostinatto.com.ar, US$10 pp dorm, US$47–49 d with private bath) has done some daring innovations while keeping prices modest, even low, in an ideal location. It features a bar-restaurant, a rooftop terrace that hosts barbecues, and even a mini-cinema, and offers at least one free-of-charge activity per day.

Rates at Monserrat’s Hostel Inn Tango City (Piedras 680, tel. 011/4300-5776, www.hostel inn.com, US$11 pp dorm, US$42 d), an HI affiliate, includes breakfast, kitchen facilities, free Internet, and even dinner Monday–Thursday. It’s even dog-friendly, but owners must take responsibility for their canine companions.

Congreso’s Hotel Chile (Avenida de Mayo 1297, tel./fax 011/4383-7877, www.hotelchile.com.ar, US$37 s, US$45 d) is an art nouveau monument offering modernized rooms with private baths, cable TVs, and telephones. Corner balcony rooms on the upper floors enjoy panoramic views of the Congreso and, by craning your neck eastward, the Plaza de Mayo and Casa Rosada; the decibel level rises from the street, though.