Putting its economic crisis of a few years ago behind it, Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, is donning a new chic face: the luxury gay destination in South America. While Brazil topped the list for gay travelers to el sur for many years, Argentina’s push toward attracting pink dollars (which go far in Buenos Aires) and the country’s progressive politics have gay tourists skipping Rio and flocking to San Telmo. The International Herald Tribune reports on a perfect example of gay-friendly luxury in Buenos Aires:

The first five-star gay hotel in Latin America opened Wednesday in the Argentine capital, an increasingly popular destination on the worldwide gay tourist circuit.

The hotel, set near the historic San Telmo neighborhood, is the second of its kind developed by Spain’s Axel Corp., which opened a five-star, 66-room gay hotel in Barcelona in 2003.

“Like any other business, we have economic objectives,” general manager Nacho Rodriguez said. But “we’re also about fighting to help the normalization and acceptance of gays in society.”

He said the hotel was designed to be open and airy.

“Many gay hotels and places are closed off and can’t be seen from the street,” Rodriguez said. “We wanted our hotel to be open and visible. Why should we try and hide ourselves?”

IHT reports that the hotel is being billed as “hetero-friendly” and that in a nod to the progressiveness of the establishment, the rooms boast door hangers which offer the option of “please disturb”. Ay!

Via / IHT