Devaluation in the country means that staying in a private estancia costs 30% less than it did a year ago, he adds.
As one juror remarked, this space, with its stone walls, beamed ceiling, and antique maple chopping block, brings a South American estancia to mind.
The estancia is also an authentic polo pony breeding and training ranch.
In the 1990s, it was estimated that cattle and sheep estancias, or farms, took up four-fifths of the country's land.
It's mid-afternoon at an estancia on the edge of the Argentine pampas.
Word is quickly spreading about the charm of Patagonia's estancias, and with most farms containing only two or three guest rooms, reservations are a must.
The reason is that a very few powerful families monopolize most of the land in enormous estancias and are satisfied to use it inadequately, usually for extensive livestock grazing.
In the rural areas, however, many workers on the estancias wear at least part of the gaucho costume - a wide-brimmed hat and loose trousers tucked into the boots - as part of their outfit.
The estancia, the large plot of land devoted to livestock raising has been - and probably still is - a stereotypical image of Argentine rural life and society.
