gopgirl

I would appreciate any help/suggestions you can provide. Feel free to email me directly or on this site.

I am from the US and am heading to Brazil August 30th, 2003. Am spending time in Sao Paulo and then flying to Rio a week later for 3 nights.

Our travel agent has recommended 3 hotels and has secured very reasonable, even cheap rates for all 3, based upon the prices I've seen on the internet. Breakfast is included for 3 mornings at all hotels and we have arranged tours, so location, while a factor, is not a deal-breaker.

My choices are: Caesar Park, Inter-Continental & JW Marriott.

We want a hotel that offers:

upper-floor room
non-smoking
in-room safe
balcony or windows that open even a little
nicely appointed room
bar
restaurants
pool
near some sort of shopping
near beach
safety

The price for the Inter-Continental, having a partial or full ocean view, is nearly the same as a non-ocean view room at Caesar Park. A full ocean view room at the Marriott is right in the middle of cost, between Inter-Continental & Caesar Park.

Have any of you stayed at any of these hotels recently? I read that Caesar Park has no balcony or windows that open. I also read that some cheaper rooms at Caesar(which are not cheap at all) face the alley. I wanted a better view, which is why I was leaning towards the other 2 hotels. But I also read that Marriott does not have balconies or windows which open.

Can anyone tell me what the rooms are like at the Inter-Continental? What ae the views like there? The beach? The shopping area next door? My boyfriend is from Brasil but has not been in Rio for some time. I want this to be a wonderful first trip for me, and a lovely experience for us both.

Thanks so much!

mbo

The JW Marriott has everything that you are looking for except that the windows do not open and there are not balconies. I liked it better than Caesar Park & Intercontinental. It has a great rooftop pool.

gopgirl

mbo - why did you like the JW Marriott better than Intercontinental or Caesar? What was better about that hotel? The location of the Intercontinental is further away, I know, from lots of things to do. But we have tours scheduled. I heard the rooftop pool at Caesar is small. Also heard the pools at Intercontinental are very nice. Read the breakfast at Intercontinental is great. Did you eat at JW Marriott? Stay there? I can pay $50 more and get an oceanview. Is it worth it? If you have a moment to tell me why you liked the JW Marriott so much, I would appreciate it! I am leaning towards it...

george_scott

Have you checked out the Sheraton? My partner and I stayed there last year during the Xmas to New Year's holiday and LOVED IT. In fact, we are going back next year. We had the balcony, there is a little beach, 2 large pools and it was close enough to walk each morning from the hotel through Leblon to Ipanema all along the beach. The walk took about 30 minutes. We cabbed it back for $3. The hotel is secure and very nice...see what kind of rate they offer.

gopgirl

Hi - the reason we are going with those 3 hotels is that the tour operator in Rio got a terrific rate at each - we are flying from sao paulo to rio and back, getting all our transfers pd, 3 tours, 3 nights at the hotels, breakfast included, for $290.0 each, US. That is pretty good, considering when I tried to make the arrangements myself the rooms at those 3 hotels were $250/night plus taxes. Nothing else included. She must have good relationships with all those hotels. I have heard the Sheraton is terrific. Wish it were on my list. Have you heard anything about any of those other hotels? Was the Intercontinental Hotel near the Sheraton? What did you think of that area?

mbo

I thought that the JW was cleaner and nicer. They have an awesome breakfast & lunch buffet. I was very impressed. I did not eat there for dinner. I had an oceanview room. It was nice but I do not think that I would pay $50 more for it. I never really care much about the view from my room because I do not plan on spending much time in my room.
The pool is not that big at the JW but it is very nice with a great view of Copacabana. The health club is nice as well.

gopgirl

Thanks! I appreciate your help very much!

Flyboy

gopgirl, the Rio Inter-Continental may be Rio's finest lodging property and it is a true, full-service resort hotel. Located just across from comparatively laid-back and well-maintained Sao Conrado Beach, the Inter-Continental boasts four restaurants, a lounge, several swimming pools and an outstanding staff. While it requires transportation to get to the city's main tourist sites, taxis are not all that expensive and another reasonable alternative for mobility, security and convenience is the "car service", which is available through the hotel. Thanks to weakness of the Brazilian currency, this is a very affordable luxury and the drivers are registered with the hotel for added assurance.

Check out the "Club Floors" (15-17), where you can enjoy excellent rooms as well as dedicated staff, complimentary afternoon tea, evening cocktails in the club room, fresh-cut flowers and fresh fruit.

There are several shops on the main floor of the hotel. The pool area is outstanding and there is a great restaurant out there where you can have lunch. If you happen to be there on a Sunday, the champagne brunch that day is awesome. Even the little "snack bar" at the I-C features halfway decent food and a selection of soups. There is also a high-end restaurant on the premises.

This summer, the I-C is again running the "Whole World at Half Off" promotion. I believe all of the rooms have balconies and at least partial ocean views.

gopgirl

flyboy - how are the rooms? I stayed at a hotel here in the states recently where the rooms were so musty & disgusting - cobwebs...supposedly a nice hotel. It has made me more cautious! From the rooms, could you tell you were in a 5 star hotel? Did you feel safe there, on the grounds & beach? Anything at all you can say, thanks! Am making my decision this weekend.

Flyboy

Inter-Continental is the top end nameplate of its hotel group and therefore tends to maintain reliably high standards. The standard rooms are not large, but they are well-appointed and maintained, with excellent climate control. The balconies aren't large, but they accommodate a couple of chairs and a small table. The security in the hotel is excellent; we had no concerns with that at all. There are room safes. The beach is not on the hotel grounds -- it's directly across the street -- however, it is not as heavily used as Copa and Ipanema, which I believe lends itself to a safer environment. (I would avoid any Rio beaches at night, as a matter of simple prudence.)

Dondiega

The beach in Sao Conrado The Intercontinental hotel I do not believe is recomended for swimming and plus it is a haven for residents of one of the biggest favelas of Rio Ricinha to make a living doing petty theft on tourists. 3 days in Rio you don't have time going back and forth by taxi, your best bet is either Ceaser Park or Marriott. I would pick Marriott if the price is good, your right in the center of the action, its what Rio is all about. If you stay at the Intercontinental and stay at their pool which is great then you can be any where in the world that has nice weather. If you stay at the Marriott or Ceaser park you know you are in Rio. The Marriott is newer than Ceaser Park and in a good location in Copacabana. The Ceaser Park is in the best location but their pool is very small but has the best view . The Marriott pool is a little bigger and a great view of Copacabana. The Marriott has a nice beach across the street with the owners of the barracas being very entertaining.

gopgirl

Thanks for the info! Am in process of deciding now!

ZZ

How much did you get the Marriott for? Thanks.

gopgirl

It is hard to say how much the hotel itself cost. We have a package for 2, airfare included from Sao Paulo to Rio to Sao Paulo & 4 tours included, plus hotel & taxes. I know that when I checked the hotel myself, it was around 250/night US. Yuck!