adama

Hi there,
I plan to visit Buzios for a short weekend, and I have to decide between 2 options for accomodation: Brava hotel or Colonna park. Do you have any idea which of them is better. BTW, have you stayed at the Colonna beach hotel? It has the same address of the Collona park but it is much cheaper.
Please help me make the right decision.

Boswell

I stayed at the Colonna Park hotel about a year and a half ago. Not bad, but by no means luxurious...it looks better on the website than it does in person. The two beaches are nothing special either---both narrow strips of brown sand.

The Brava Hotel looks more impressive (if a bit stark and modern), and is on a more attractive and less populated beach (it's a surfer beach, and the waves are pretty big). As a bonus, if you hike the steep hill at the end of the beach, on the other side you'll find a tiny but idyllic clothing-optional beach, Olho de Boi. I would be willing to return to Buzios and stay at the Brava Hotel just to be able to go to Olho de Boi every day.

Dondiega

I stayed at the Colanna Park hotel 2 years ago and I thought it was a very nice hotel especially if you get one of the rooms with the view of the beach, its great. That beach is a very nice beach with minimum waves as opposed to the surfer beach the other poster mentions, I dont know the other hotel but it sounds like it is on Geriba. It depends on what you like, I prefer nice calm water and thats why I chose Colonna Park plus you can walk into the center of town in 10 minutes. The Colonna Park is beachfront while the Colonna beach is across the street, not beachfront thats why it is cheaper. I feel that by Brazilian standards the Colonna Park was quite luxurious as you are going to get in Buzios, this is a beach town and this hotel is about as best as you are going to get there.

glasgirl

Probably too late for the original poster but just a word of warning for future travellers...The Brava Hotel is not all it's cracked up to be! We stayed a couple of months ago. Booked a 5 night stay, on check in we were advised that full payment was due on check-in. Our room was not ready at the time so we did not have the opportunity to see the room before paying upfront. The reception areas looked nice so in good faith we payed the bill. As mentioned our room was not ready so the hotel offered us a complimentary drink while we waited. I might add at this stage this was our honeymoon. When we were eventually shown to our room we were completely devastated! The room was akin to a concrete cell. It was tiny, with a matching tiny bed. Stark & concrete with no home comforts. The bathroom was similar. We decided almost immediately that we could not stay here for 5 nights, it was our honeymoon. We then decided to take a trip to town to see if this was generally the standard of accommodation. We quickly realised it was not having visited three other similar priced properites. We decided to spend the one night in Brava as it had been a very long day. The next morning we rang reception to advise that we would be checking out. We explained our issues and expressed our deep upset at what we felt was a mis sold product. We felt we were being more than fair in accepting that we would have to pay for the previous night and since we were not giving 24 hours notice that night also. The reception would not budge, we would not receive any refund for the 5 nights accommodation already paid for. We did not receive the service we paid for and feel totally cheated by the Brava Hotel..obviously this has happened at the Brava before why else would you have to pay upfront? We have never previously had this issue and have learned a very expensive lesson...always,always insist on seeing the room before you pay!!

bigbossman

I would tend to agree with GlasGirl.
The Brava is miles from anything. It looks all neo modern but its quiet boring and the rooms are tiny and cell like. We also stayed at a really nice Hotel/Pousada called El Cazar..It had everything. If you want seclusion with dreadful food and no choice, go to the Brava...

adama

Based on your replies, I finally picked the Collona Park hotel, and I want to thank you all for that great tip. Its location on a cliff is perfect, with views to the top beaches in Buzios in my opinion. Even if you are not staying at the Collona Park, take a water taxi to Joan Fernandino beach. Optimal for swimming and sunbathing. Great atmosphere.