The location is outstanding, and the hotel could be great, if only:
- the windows were changed to block the terrible traffic noise (you really feel you are sleeping on the highway),
- the front desk were adequately dimensioned so you do not have to wait for 30min. for check-in at 11pm!
- the rooms were cleaner.

I am sure there are much better hotels around Ipanema, so I would recommend skipping this one until the above issues have been addressed.

We thoroughly enjoyed our three day stay here. The staff are very helpful and friendly and the hotel is excellent value for Rio. The location is excellent. We could find nothing to fault. We stayed in a twin deluxe master room which is well worth the extra.

Good location, clean rooms. The incredibly incompetent front desk staff was matched by the equally incompetent reservation office. I couldn't find how to reserve two rooms on the same reservation on the hotel website so did two individual reservations. Never received confirmation even though I emailed three requests and called three times ( before finding someone who said she could help) to ask for an email confirmation. During the final call, after I insisted, the reservationist gave me two confirmation numbers. The day after making the reservations, I faxed, as required by the reservation website, a copy of our reservations printed from their website, our passport numbers and the front and back of our credit card. No response to this either. When we arrived at the hotel, they had canceled our reservation! I had my copy of the reservation with my handwritten confirmation numbers but of course no official hotel confirmation. We insisted they honor the reservation. It took several clerks, the manager and back and forth with the reservation office before they agreed. No one apologized at any point. The manager finally said that they would have one room with twin beds for our daughter and her friend ready immediately and, to make up for the inconvenience, an upgraded room in several hours for my husband and me. Would we accept another room with twins beds? My husband and I said no. We left our luggage, walked around for several hours and returned to the hotel. The bellboy led us to a small room with twin beds! We refused and, finally, were given what we had originally been offered. During our stay, the desk staff gave us misinfornation about laundries, internet and bus stops. They refused to make dinner reservations or to confirm our flights. No one ever smiled. It rained every day. Okay, that last is not their fault. We loved Rio but will never recommend this hotel.

I was there in october 2006 and 2007. Both times the same story. The hotel is very nice, the rooms are comfortable, new, clean all have balcony to the beach. Breakfast is the best I have had. The hotel restaurant on the 1st floor (which is not advertised at all by the hotel itself) had a wonderfull chef and meals, at reasonable prices but it was always empty. Francisco, the head waiter in the evening was most polite. The location is great, the district is safe to walk at night. The GREAT PROBLEM of this hotel is THE RECEPTION STAFF. They seem to hate the guests really, they never smile at you nor try to help in any way! On both occasions was the same although the staff was different people. That means that it is the MANAGER who is failing. All guests complain about the same in all reviews and they don't correct their mistakes. They will ruin the hotel. It's a pity really. It's rated 4 stars, they should change their bad attitude at once!