Our honeymoon was supposed to span eight nights in Argentina. I had booked much of the trip, including first class flights and hotel suites, using frequent flyer miles and hotel points — rewards earned over many years spent traveling the world and reporting on accessible travel.
Then came a series of flight delays and cancellations. By the time the dust settled, Stevie and I had spent four extra nights at home and one night in a Houston airport hotel — we were left with just three nights in Argentina. Disappointing though that was, we are "glass half-full" people and committed ourselves to making the most of our shortened honeymoon. Read on to find out what stood out from four days and three nights in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Business and First Class Flights to Argentina Using Frequent Flyer Miles
I redeemed a total of 270,000 frequent flyer miles — that's 120,000 Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards points and 150,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles — to book our honeymoon flights from St. Louis to Buenos Aires and back.
For the outbound, I used 60,000 Atmos Rewards points per person to book seats in business class on American Airlines. After several days of flight cancellations and delays, American rebooked us to fly on United Airlines.
We had a nice flight in United's Polaris Business Class on the Boeing 777-200ER, though there were some issues with the accessibility of the seat which I will discuss in a future article.
Our return flights from Buenos Aires to St. Louis cost 75,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles per person, but this time we were seated in Flagship First Class on the American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER. The carrier is preparing to phase out international first class in favor of larger business class cabins, so this was likely our last opportunity to enjoy the Flagship First Class product. It was a nice upgrade!
I will review each of our premium cabin flights in future articles, but the key point is this — laying flat and sleeping on long-haul intercontinental flights is a game-changer, especially for disabled flyers with a history of pressure ulcers like me. I previously wrote the article entitled, First Class for the Wheelchair Traveler: Luxury or Necessity? and, on long flights like these, I do consider it necessary.
Beyond the flat bed seat, business and first class tickets come with additional perks including higher-quality inflight meals, lounge access and more — nice touches when celebrating a honeymoon. Contrary to popular belief, disabled passengers sitting up front do not receive a more accessible service — I experienced a denial of preboarding, long waits for assistance and damage to my wheelchair on this trip... in that respect, it felt no different than flying in economy!
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Booking a Wheelchair Accessible Suite
You may have already read about our troubles with finding accessible accommodation on our wedding night — the S0-Called Wheelchair Accessible Honeymoon Suite at the Marriott St. Louis Grand. Finding wheelchair accessible suites is hard even in the United States and, in Argentina, there are no laws requiring that hotels make suites accessible.
We knew that finding an adapted suite in Buenos Aires would be unlikely — so we instead spent time looking at photos of standard suites across the city, hoping to find one that we could make work. Stevie and I settled on a Deluxe Suite at the Marriott Buenos Aires Downtown. The hotel has an excellent location near the iconic Obelisk on Republic Square and the Teatro Colón opera house.
The room was a proper suite, with a bedroom, living room and bathroom. We didn't have a balcony or much of a view, but the room was spacious enough for my power wheelchair.
In the bathroom, there was a roll-under vanity with his and hers sinks, plus a large walk-in shower with a soaking tub. The bathtub was not accessible, but we were able to source a chair to use in the shower. Although there were no grab bars in the bathroom, my 400-pound power wheelchair was sturdy enough to hold onto during transfers. The situation wasn't perfect, but we made it work and enjoyed a few nights of luxurious accommodation.
If you are considering a trip to Buenos Aires and need an adapted room, check out the wheelchair accessible hotels that I have reviewed here:
John Morris
Getting Around in Buenos Aires
Some years ago, I wrote about wheelchair taxis in Buenos Aires, but the situation has changed. When I called providers to schedule a wheelchair accessible ride from the airport, I was quoted inflated prices in the hundreds of dollars. Stevie and I were not interested in being taken advantage of, so we opted to use public transportation instead.
We rode city buses and purchased a pass for the hop-on/hop-off tourist bus. We were able to get around Buenos Aires for next to nothing and, while it was not the most luxurious or most romantic way to travel, it made sense for us. On the wheelchair accessible hop-on/hop-off Buenos Aires Bus, we even received a narrated tour during the ride!
Check out the guide to wheelchair accessible public transportation in Buenos Aires, which has information on city buses and the Buenos Aires Metro system:
John Morris
Wheelchair Accessible Tango in Buenos Aires
Tango is a dance that originated in Argentina and Uruguay in the 1880s; it is such an important and recognizable part of the culture that it was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Seeing a tango show in Buenos Aires is an exciting experience, but there are many nightly performances across the city. There were many to choose from, but we settled on the dinner show offered at Tango Porteño, which was located a couple of blocks from our hotel and listed itself as wheelchair accessible.
We purchased VIP Dinner Show tickets, which offered the widest menu selection, free drinks and preferred seating in the venue. When we arrived, we learned that the elevated preferred seating was not wheelchair accessible, and we were instead seated in a different section, in the first row in front of and below the stage.
While the seating arrangements were a disappointment, we focused on enjoying the show. The singers and dancers delivered a fantastic performance that was truly memorable!
As for the dinner, the food tasted fine, but it was not a great meal. Something on Stevie's plate did not agree with her, and she became ill in the middle of the night. We looked at the reviews and did not see anything related to food poisoning, so I expect this was an isolated case.
Michelin-Star Dinner at Don Julio Steakhouse
Buenos Aires is home to five Michelin-starred restaurants, including one that I fell in love with before it earned the coveted star. That restaurant is iconic steakhouse Don Julio, located in the beautiful Palermo neighborhood.
We made a reservation in advance of our trip and sat inside the restaurant — the front door has a barrier or "lip" of about 2.5 inches, but my Permobil F3 managed it without too much difficulty. If you use a power wheelchair with mid-wheel drive, it may not be accessible. I have reached out to the restaurant to suggest the purchase of a ramp, and will report back with their response. Note that the restaurant does not have an accessible bathroom.
Stevie and I enjoyed an incredible meal, one which is truly Michelin Star-worthy. Everything was exceptional, down to the bread rolls. This was the Don Julio that I remembered and I was relieved that its star, first awarded in 2024, has not compromised the restaurant's quality.
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Wheelchair Accessible Day Trip to Uruguay
In addition to visiting Buenos Aires, we had planned to fly to the wine country of Argentina — specifically, the city of Mendoza, the home of Malbec red wine. There, we would have toured wineries and visited the Andes Mountains. Unfortunately, the flight delays at the start of the trip forced us to miss out on those experiences, and we instead took a day trip to a city I have visited before: Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. The Old Town in Colonia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is definitely worth visiting.
John Morris
Not much has changed in Colonia since I last visited, but I was grateful to share a new experience with Stevie — my first ride in a wheelchair accessible golf cart! You can read about that experience here:
John Morris
The wheelchair accessible golf cart rental enabled us to visit parts of the city I had never seen before, including the Plaza de Toros Real de San Carlos, a former bullring which has been repurposed into an event venue and tourist attraction.
We traveled round-trip from Buenos Aires to Colonia aboard the Buquebus ferry, which is wheelchair accessible.
Final Thoughts
Our honeymoon didn't go according to plan — we lost five nights, a trip to Mendoza's wine country and the leisurely pace we had imagined. But the days Stevie and I did have in Buenos Aires were full ones with unique experiences, memorable moments, joy, laughter and love.
Although the trip was much shorter than we had planned and the accessibility was not perfect, we pursued workable solutions and made the most of what was presented to us. Ultimately, travel is an adventure, and we treated this trip as such. As for Mendoza, we'll be back for you — call it an excuse to plan a second honeymoon!
Did you miss reading about our big day? Take a look behind the scenes of our wheelchair accessible wedding here:
John Morris
