Mosela

Me and my brother (both german) are looking to travel to Rio together.
We have looked thru travel catalogs but still cant find many hotels in them.
Can anybody give us any good tips on where to stay.
We are not looking to stay at the Copa Palace or the Sheraton..We are looking for a Hotel that is either on the beach, or a block away,that is reasonable priced (under 100 dollars ) is in an great location...where there is alot to do..where there are bars and clubs etc. We prefer the Copacabana or within walking distance.
So if you have any ideas or want to share your favorite Rio experience..please email me at [email protected]

Thanks a bunch
Anja

Dondiega

The Copa Palace or the Sheraton is going to cost more than $100. Take a look at the Luxor Regente or the Orla hotel both in Copacabana and both about $100 a day and less.
www.carnaval.com/cityguides/brazil/rio/index.htm

mrwunrfl

The Arpoador Inn would fit your budget. It is on the point between Ipanema and Copacabana. You can read a bit about it under the destinations section of fodors.com. I didn't stay there but I did check out a room. It was acceptable and I might stay there if I ever go back to Rio.

PONCHOTJ

I stayed at the Miramar Palace last September and the hotel is in an excellent location. Right on the beach in Copacabana. We paid $70 US per night. The hotel is nice and clean. It has a roof top bar with a picture perfect view of Copacabana. Ipanema and Leblon have the best bars, nigh clubs, and restaurants in the city, and those two areas are just a short cab ride away from the Miramar Palace.

UKUKUK

I would recommend staying in Ipanema as it is much nicer (better shopping and better food) and you can easily walk to Copacabana when you want to go out there in the evening. Taxis are allover the place and are cheap as chips. I stayed in Ipanema Plaza hotel which cost US$60 a night. It is at least 3 star, has a roof top pool and a gym, is less that a block from the beach, does a good breakfast and has decent sized en-suite bathrooms and decent sized rooms with many foreign TV channels. A Brazillian friend of mine who lives in Rio booked the room for me so I got it at a local rate but I doubt he got a discount of more than US$20 so you should get a room there for US$80, certainly no more than US$100.

trvlfan20

I've heard the same about ipanema being a nicer area to stay in..i will be going in march and i was also looking to stay @ the ipanema plaza b/c it looks like a nice hotel...UK, i was wondering what time of yr u went b/c the current rate on the hotel website says USD 125 for a double in a std room?..any one have any suggestions as to how to get a cheaper rate, i.e. call hotel directly vs. reserving online?

Mosela

Hello Everyone again:

Thank you for all your replies so far but I am still a little confused.
How far is Ipanema and Leblon away from Copacabana ? Can I walk there.
Why is everyone saying to stay in Ipanema and Leblon. I am not looking to go shopping...or try to find fancy restaurants.

I just want to be able to lay in the sun all day, enjoy the montains around me and go out at night and listen to some Salsa Music.

Is it not safe at Copacabana ?
People say that about Acapulco and I dont find it to be true.

Thanks a bunch
Anja

Nino

Ipanema is the next beach right after Ipanema. You can walk from one beach to each other depending how far you stay. Both beaches are 2-3km longer each. Leblon and Ipanema are the same beach, only divided by a cannal.

Salsa is not what you're going to listen in Rio. Maybe Samba.
Nino

UKUKUK

If you were fine in Acapulco you will be fine in Rio. Copa is safe, it is just not so flash. There are prettier girls on Ipanema, better cafes, a generally better beach etc...

But if you want to lay on a beach I think you will enjoy both of them as Copa is perhaps a bit more lively.

Copa nightlife is seedier than Ipanema, but there are good options in both areas. It depends what you are after...

You can walk from Copa to Ipanema and Leblon, although if you were to walk the length of Copa and Ipanema you would cover a lot of distance!

trvlfan20

I stayed in October/November. The best way to get a cheap rate is over the internet or by calling directly and comparing. But if you call up and speak English you will pay a "tourist tax." If you know anyone in Brazil, get them to make the reservation as theyt will get a discount.

sandy_b

We (two senior ladies) went to Rio on spring break in Mar 02 and we stayed in Copacabana . . . we loved it! We felt like we were more part of the Rio culture and not just part of the tourist scene. We felt that everything in Ipanema was more upscale, more expensive, more touristy.

We stayed at the Ducasse Rio for about $55/night and we had a triple room w/small balcony. It was not on the beach but about a block in and was fine.

We never felt unsafe, we took public transportation, we visited all the sites on our own, we went to Iguasu Falls and Petropolis . . . we had a ball. I have my log typed up if you want a copy, just email me at [email protected].

Don't let everyone scare you to death about Rio . . . don't get drunk on the beach after midnight and you'll be just fine.

Buen viaje,
Sandy (in Denton)

Dondiega

The Secretary of Public Safety announced that the number of assaults of pedestrians has decreased in 34% since the installation, six months ago, of seven video cameras on Avenida Atlântica and two on Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana. The result compared numbers from the second semester of last year with the first six months of the year.

Alexandre Sampaio, vice-president of the Brazilian Hotel Association, is very pleased with the figures and plans to propose that the Secretary increase the number of cameras installed, which, he thinks, should also monitor the side streets in Copacabana and banks entrances.

Secretary of Public Safety, Anthony Garotinho, announced last December that Barra da Tijuca and Jacarepaguá will be next to receive the system, whose installation in Leblon and Ipanema should be completed by the end of February. Garotinho promised to have the system installed in all police stations by the end of the year; a goal he intends to achieve as soon as the Ministry of Justice releases the R$ 40 million he has requested to finance the project.

The cameras, which have allowed police to reduce the time it takes to answer calls, play a key role in the State?s security plan, which foresees all police stations inter-connected to a monitoring center, in the Central do Brasil building.