Hotel Rex de Atlantida

Atlantida is a seaside resort town first planned and developed from about 1911 onwards, so many of the Hotels and dwellings were constructed between about 1920 and 1950: Hotel Rex is one such Hotel. The hotel is situated adjacent the shoreline of the river plate, and for the three days that we were there, a fresh breeze was blowing in from the sea, and a wide ocean panorama was clearly visible from the rooms balcony at the front of the building [ 1st floor]. Upon entering the Hotel, you find yourself in a time warp: almost reminiscent in fact of Jaques Tati's film Las Vacaciones de Monsieur Hulot [1953] without the swinging doors to the kitchen. The decor is very unusual, consisting pale mauve curtains, and light lemon table clothes. All the staff went about their duties in a competent fashion with the minimum of fuss.They were all courteous and helpful. Continental Breakfast served in the dining room was quite adequate, but not quite up to five star pretensions. The Hotel was old, but clean. A wide verandah outside at ground floor level provides a very spacious area with plenty of deck chairs to take the view and enjoy the fresh air. The bed gave very good support for rest, and the foam pillows are an asset for anyone, like myself, who suffers from allergies. I had no problems at all in this place. The ensuite did not possess good ergonomics though. The bidet was in front of the washand basin, and you have to sit a bit skew-wiff on the lavatory because it is too close to the shower. There were other little annoyances in this department like the ensuite door being unable to close , and the balcony shutters which do not have securing fittings, so they have to be kept open by propping a deck chair up against them if you want the air to flow in. The door key to the room takes two turns to lock and unlock; again an old locking system, and one that can be a puzzle to get the door open until you get used to the vagaries of the key fitment and the two turns. generally though, the charm of the Hotel is that it retains it's character in a prime position, and puts you where you want to be beside the sea for relaxation. Bring a good book and your walking stick.