Mansion Dandi Royal Tango School & Hotel

Here's something a bit different. My Argentine friend Juan Carlos told me about this residential tango academy, housed in an extraordinary Art Nouveau mansion in the historic San Telmo district of Buenos Aires. Restored and converted into a tango school by renowned dancer Héctor Villalba in 2000, Mansion Dandi Royal is a fun place to stay if you love to dance, or want to learn how. Each of the 30 hotel rooms and suites has parquet floors, high ceilings, early 20th-century Argentine bourgeois furnishings, and tango-themed frescoes painted on the walls. Modern touches include Wi-Fi, hot tubs, and TVs and stereos for watching dance channels or listening to tango music. Group and private classes for all skill levels are offered in English or Spanish. The mansion has three ballrooms with hardwood floors, and live professional shows are held every weeknight. After class, you can soothe fatigued legs in the small rooftop hot tub before heading out to explore the lively neighborhood. There are plenty of good restaurants and bars nearby where you can practice your new-found moves.

Room rates from $170.