Brazil - Hotel Suggestion Rio March?

When staying in Rio I have always rented apartments, therefore not up on current, decent hotels. For my upcoming trip in March my apartment is not available for the first 3 days of my stay, thus need some temporary accommodation.

Looking for a 3 or 4 'star' in Copa or Ipanema, doesn't matter, in the $125 per night range. Oh, this is post-carnaval, arrive March 8th and on the beach not required. Any suggestions? I do dislike little hotel rooms so a small suite would be a bonus. thanks so much.

Oh, this is post-carnaval, arrive March 8th and on the beach not required. Any suggestions?

You are arriving during carnival, not post. Some of the biggest activities are on then:

Tuesday, March 8th
16.00 Banda de Ipanema marches for the last time
21.00 Parade of the Samba Schools in Group "B"
23.00 Gay Costume Ball in Rio Scala

If you can delay until the next week you might have a chance, but a small one. Arriving during Carnival is probably why you cannot find the apartment you usually use.

You are arriving during carnival, not post. Some of the biggest activities are on then:

Tuesday, March 8th
16.00 Banda de Ipanema marches for the last time
21.00 Parade of the Samba Schools in Group "B"
23.00 Gay Costume Ball in Rio Scala

If you can delay until the next week you might have a chance, but a small one. Arriving during Carnival is probably why you cannot find the apartment you usually use.

Hardly 'during' Carnival, March 8 is the final day, granted the big day. Not sure why you think chances are 'slim' a week after for a hotel. At any rate, I have secured a hotel room with no problem for required days prior to moving to my usual apartment.

Sorry, Zachery, but Jbcarioca is right. While Carnival oficially ends on Tuesday, festivities (and the tourist overflow into the city) lasts until the next weekend: on Saturday 12th there will be a new parade of the samba schools at the sambodromo (this time for the best classified only, which will have been announced on Wednesday 9th) and all along Zona Sul (certainly Ipanema and Leblon along the Beach, probably Copacabana, Jardim Botânico, Laranjeiras, Downtown - I don't know all the details as I don't partake in it)

That said, some people begins the Carnival in Rio then go for the last days in Salvador, Bahia (were street festivities last even more than in Rio), freeing some hotels rooms before the end of the week.

Glad to know that you had your room!

Hardly 'during' Carnival, March 8 is the final day, granted the big day. Not sure why you think chances are 'slim' a week after for a hotel. At any rate, I have secured a hotel room with no problem for required days prior to moving to my usual apartment.

Glad OP found a hotel, but their comment that it's "hardly during Carnaval" and is "a week after" is not accurate. I am in Brazil. March 4-March 8 are the "official' dates of Carnaval this year but, as noted, parades will continue after that and, more important to a hotel search, many people will be off work that entire week and hotels will still be filled. Just down a bit from the peak. That applies throughout the country. Tourists who flock to Rio for Carnaval don't all exit en masse on the 8th, or even the 9th. One may be able to avoid the minimum-stay required by some hotels, and rates could conceivably go down a bit from their absolute peak, but vacancies will be less and prices higher from a "normal" week.

Out of curiosity, I looked at Expedia.com for March 8-11. Lowest showing was $151 at the Novotel Santos Dumont (near Santos Dumong Airport downtown). Hotels in Copacabana and Ipanema started at $250-300 and went quickly up from there. I'd be interested to know what OP found. If they found a good hotel at a decent price with no problem, their info could be of use, even if people considering future Carnaval trips should book earlier. Especially for Rio, since many places do not have a week's worth of parades like Rio does.

I am happy zackery149 found a place to stay. I hope you enjoy your stay. There will be a plethora of big Carnival events while you're in Rio, and few people will be working anyway so have fun! Things are already slowing down because so many people went to the first blocos, 20,000 or so last night, including my nephews, who did not manage to get to work today.