Club Hotel de la Ventana
| Company type | Resort hotel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Founded | 1911 |
| Founder | Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway |
| Defunct | 1978 (demolition began) |
| Headquarters | Near Villa Ventana , Argentina |
| Products | Accommodation, leisure facilities |
Club Hotel de la Ventana was an expansive and opulent resort hotel constructed by the Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway, inaugurated in 1911 near Villa Ventana, situated 17 km from Sierra de La Ventana (town) in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.
History
The hotel’s design was the work of Italian architect Antonio Gherardi, with construction commencing in 1904 under the supervision of Gaston Luis Mallet and Jacques Dunant. Bricks for the building were provided by businessman Ernesto Tornquist. The establishment offered accommodation for 350 guests within 173 rooms and four suites. Its facilities encompassed a solarium, a Louis XVI-themed dining room seating 600, a winter garden, a ballroom with capacity for 150 and equipped for film screenings, three casino halls, a nightclub, beauty salons, a panoramic tower, concert hall, library, polo field, chapel, golf course, football field, tennis courts, equestrian stables, swimming pool, hospital, pharmacy, hairdressing salon, and gymnasium. The surrounding 126-hectare park was landscaped by Carlos Thays and featured a variety of European tree species.
The hotel’s official opening on November 11, 1911 drew approximately 1,200 attendees including notable figures such as British Ambassador Lord Barrington, Brazilian President General Campos Salles, the Prince of Wales, Robert I. Runciman, and Argentine President Julio Argentino Roca, who described it as "The marvel of the century." The resort welcomed the public starting December 1. By December 1913, a narrow gauge railway spanning 21 km linked the hotel to Sierra de la Ventana station with daily trains running to Estación Constitución in Buenos Aires.
Starting in 1913, financial difficulties emerged due to an international economic slump and the outbreak of war in Europe. Nevertheless, the hotel hosted a significant celebration on July 9, 1916 commemorating Argentina’s Independence centenary. Distinguished guests included the Crown Princess of Spain, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), and Brazilian President Hermes Rodrigues da Fonseca.
On November 3, 1917, President Hipólito Yrigoyen implemented a nationwide ban on gambling. By 1920, ownership by English investors ceased operations and dissolved their management company. The provincial government purchased the property on November 30, 1924 with plans to transform it into a vacation retreat for teachers and their families; however, this initiative was never executed. Subsequently, the hotel was stripped of valuable items such as fine wines and furnishings.
During World War II in 1939, following the Battle of the River Plate and the scuttling of the German battleship Admiral Graf Spee near Montevideo harbor in Uruguay, over one thousand German sailors were confined at the hotel until 1946. This period saw some restoration efforts that briefly revived the property.
After the sailors’ return to Germany, the hotel fell into decline. Demolition efforts began in 1978 and a fire on July 8, 1983 destroyed most of what remained. Today, only ruins mark the location.
References
- Nacimiento y Muerte de la Maravilla del Siglo XX, Club Hotel de la Ventana. Jorge Alberto Jordi & Lisandro Fausto Victoria, Editorial Dunken, Buenos Aires, 2009.
External links
- www.villaventana.com (in Spanish)
- www.sierradelaventana.com (in Spanish)
- Club Hotel (in Spanish)
- Diario La Nueva Provincia Nacimiento y muerte del Club Hotel (in Spanish)
- Hotel Resort Elexus A next-generation hotel