My family and I stayed at this hotel from Dec 25-27, 2007. We were fortunate to obtain the local Argentinian rate for our three rooms ($90.00 USD/day). The location of the hotel is fantastic as it is centrally located in the city and equidistant from all the major attractions. Florida Street is a pedestrian walkway packed with trendy stores, a mall, and tons of people during the day. The stores on Florida Street are more expensive than elsewhere in the city, but the goods are of a high quality and certainly cheaper than the States.
The staff was helpful and kind. They provided us with information on where to eat, shop, and sight see. The rooms were nothing special, but they were clean and without any problems. The staff was ill informed on at least two occasions but were nice nonetheless.
The reception area emitted an unusual and unpleasant odor for over two days and the elevator is small and uncomfortable (as are most elevators in BA). We would not stay at this hotel if we did not get the local Argentinian rate. The smaller bed and breakfast establishments in Palermo would have been more ideal if we had to do it all over again. Overall, this hotel was good for it's location. It is nothing special, but it was clean. By the way, hotel tax is 21% in Buenos Aires, so take that into account for your budget.
Btw if you want to take in a tango/dinner show in BA (highly recommended), you do not need to pay $100.00 USD per person. We paid 35$ USD/ person and had a great time and a great meal.

We booked one night at the Howard Johnson on Florida street due to its location, but immediately check out following several issues. Firstly, we had just come off a plane and were in need of a shower. The hot water didn't work, and we sat around for nearly two hours waiting for someone to fix it. The minibar was also broken and full of water. Once the hotel finally confirmed it could not immediately be fixed, we were given the choice of a either a smoking room with one bed, or a non smoking room with two beds as the hotel was full. Although we looked at both, since we are non-smokers and wanted one bed, neither option was suitable. The front desk was not accomodating and refused to upgrade us. We were left with no alternative but to check out. They made no effort to deter us. We ended up checking in at the Marriott next door. Although it was considerably more expensive at twice the price, we felt confident in that it was a name we knew whose quality could be trusted. We were happy with our decision, as in our opinion the Marriott Plaza is hands down superior in every way. If you are staying on Florida Street, Marriott is the way to go. Howard Johnson is old, worn, tired, and showing its age. The beds are uncomfortable, the hotel itself is noticeably dirty, and the decor is tired and basic at best. Many of have a humdrum corporate look which is not the type of setting most people want on a vacation. All the rooms we visited were not well ventilated and smelled musty. The hotel is worn, tired, and definetly showing its age. The staff is indifferent at best. If you are just looking for a room and will not be spending a large amount of time at the hotel, than perhaps you can overlook all this and enjoy Buenos Aires for the amazing city it is nonetheless.

The staff really made me dislike my stay at this hotel. I woke up the second day of my stay here with what appeared to be several bug bites. The third day, I woke up with a few more. I decided to ask the people at the front desk if I could change rooms for the remainder of my stay just in case there were mosquitoes or fleas in my room. They were completely unreceptive-- they insisted that the rooms were clean and refused to even look to see if they had another room available. After that, they scowled every time my boyfriend and I walked by the front desk.

Additionally, the cleaning service was spotty-- sometimes they wouldnt clean certain things or replace tissues and things like that, and there was mold buildup on the shower.

The hotel was okay. It was large and mostly clean--there was some grime and mold in the bathroom. Most of the people who worked there were friendly, but there was one woman who worked there who was a complete monster. She went out of her way to be rude to us, and I have no idea why. If you avoid her you will probably be okay. The location is great if you want to spend most of your time on Calle Florida and downtown. However, if you're younger, staying in Palermo is probably a better idea, as there isn't much going on at night around the hotel. Overall, I would suggest people stay elsewhere.