Hotel Bauen
| Company type | Worker cooperative |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Headquarters | Buenos Aires , Argentina |
| Products | Hotel services |
The Hotel Bauen, situated at 360 Callao Avenue in Buenos Aires, was a recuperated enterprise managed collectively by its employees. Serving both as a hotel and a gathering space for Argentine labor and left-wing organizations, some of the worker-owners also lived on the premises.
Originally inaugurated in 1978 as a four-star establishment, the hotel benefited from significant government funding prior to the 1978 FIFA World Cup hosted in Buenos Aires. The initial proprietor, Marcelo Iurcovich, obtained US$37 million in 1976 from Banco Nacional de Desarollo (BANADE), a public financial institution later integrated into the Banco de la Nación Argentina. The hotel's financial situation deteriorated during the economic downturn, resulting in staff reductions and its closure on December 28, 2001.
In March 2003, ex-workers, backed by the Movimiento Nacional de Empresas Recuperadas (MNER), took over the building. They commenced restoration efforts and progressively restarted operations while seeking legal ownership through activism and dialogue.
The legal ownership status remained ambiguous. In October 2005, authorities recognized workers' rights to inhabit the property but forbade commercial activities, temporarily sealing off entrances. Defying this, workers removed closure barriers and continued functioning.
By May 2006, Judge Carla Cavaliere overturned the closure directive. However, ownership questions persisted. A 2007 legislative proposal named Ley Nacional de Expropiación, introduced by Deputy Victoria Donda, sought to transfer property rights to the workers but did not pass. Throughout the 2010s, the worker cooperative faced ongoing challenges maintaining hotel operations. Ultimately, it ceased functioning in mid-2020 due to the pandemic, with a judicial ruling restoring possession to the original owners.