Since their 2001 monetary crisis, Buenos Aires has been experiencing an ever-expansive boom in tourism that has driven the short-term apartment rentals, for visitors. Rising hotel room rates and easy internet browsing have made this urban vacation option increasingly attractive for many world travelers who yearn to spend less and live more like locals--even if only for just a week.

For these adventurers, Buenos Aires apartments are an attractive and cost-effective substitute to stay in a hotel. At your vacation apartment you can relax just like home, with friends or in blissful solitude. Enjoying your private oasis in the city with the stimulating "sea of humanity" just outside your tranquil door. Becoming a temporary client/friend of the neighborhood businesses/restaurants; savoring the daily hunting/gathering of fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, breads, wines and cheeses, in the extremely local family markets; relaxing in your barrio's gardens and parks as you synchronize your rhythms to those of Buenos Aires in your beautiful, rented pied-a-terre.

Unfortunately, of course, the local color can fade on occasion: appliances break; phone cards/communication lines become garbled; deposits are embezzled; etc. So, with this recommendation comes a clichéd caveat: Let the buyer beware. Make sure that your rental agency is reputable and honest. This task, of course, is much easier said than done and one should make sure to read and listen to as many trustworthy sources as possible, before choosing the one right for you. Be sure to do your homework in advance and give yourself plenty of time to make the right choice. Then, of course, the remainder of your visit will flow more easily.

So, why do vacationers rent when they could be ordering room service?

Top reasons to rent Buenos Aires apartments:

1. The allure of experiencing life, however briefly, as a local: Of course, many people travel the world just to stay in the same place, no matter where they are but, for those who would rather savor the true flavors of a culture, a cuisine, a language, even if only briefly.......nothing is better than living in the neighborhoods and "hangin' with the homeboys". Choosing your BA "hood" is the fun of it!! Let your agency help you find what's best for your lifestyle.

2. More Space and Privacy: Hotel rooms, even with daily maid service, become crowded quickly. How to get away from your insomniac roommate? A snorer? The party next door? Find a spacious, fully furnished, two bedroom loft in Puerto Madero. With an open kitchen plan and outdoor balconies, you and your family can spread out and be comfortable with little effort.

3. Convenience of cooking for Yourself: Even with the 3-1 exchange rate between the dollar and peso, restaurant meals, in BA, can become expensive, depending on where one eats. Also, the pleasure of shopping for and cooking with fresh local ingredients, accompanied with fine, Argentinean wines, in your own home, on your normal schedule, can be both indescribable and more economical, as well as the best antidote to fight the daily routine of eating out during vacation time.

4. Save Money: Renting an apartment in Buenos Aires can equate to a 50% saving on Buenos Aires hotels of the same standard.

Choosing to short-term rent an apartment in BA is something distinctive in a world of sameness. It draws the line distinguishing the value of individuality from mass production. It is the most natural way to approach the rich, Buenos Aires culture and can be one of the most unforgettably wonderful travel experiences of your life!!!

As long as the requirement of hotels rooms remains strong and the dollars stay relative powerful compared to the argentine pesos, the demand for Buenos Aires rental apartments will continue to be robust.