<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ryan754:
Well I noticed no reports on this hotel and I recently stayed there so I will give a little input. I got a rate of about $145 which was about the same as the Sheraton Leblon. Hotel is right across the street from the Pepe beach scene. My fave in RIO. Hotel looks very new as most surrounding apartments look old. Checked in and was given an executive suite looks like one level below the best suite in the house. There are two towers one residential one hotel. The room had an ocean view as I guess most do. Room was well sized. Small wetbar/kitchen like area. Then a bedroom with bathroom on the left. And a large living area with a desk sofa bed two chairs. A nice balcony with two chairs and a table. Got a fruit basket on arrival. The pool is nice and heated along with a big jacuzzi. As for the health club and locker room with whirlpool steam sauna you have to pay extra except Plats. Well some staff did not know what Platinum was and charged me which I took care of later. I have to say I like the hotel. It has a Miami feel to it. It did not feel as personal as the sheraton though. Then again I have stayed thirty+ nights there this year and slept with one of the employees. I like the Barra sheraton for the location. Yet I like the Sheraton Leblon more as a hotel although majorly overpriced. In the future when I am not using apartments I would probably split my time. sheraton Leblon when hanging in Ipanema and Copacabana, and Barra when in the Barra area. If you stay there ask about the free ride to Barra Brasa, by far one of my favorite BBQs in Rio</font>
I just completed a one night stay at the Sheraton Barra Hotel & Suites.
As Platinum I was up-graded at check-in (easy and fast) to a so-called "Executive Suite" on the SPG Floor (room 906). My impression of the room (very clean) and hotel in general coincides with ryan754's. This property was obvuously not build exactly to Sheraton specifications, but seems to have been initially intended for a flat/residence service. The bathroom (wall hair dryer and nice Sheraton bath amenities) had shower only and is not big, but seems more functional and slightly bigger that the Leblon/Niemeier property. The shower was nice and big. One TV in the bedroom and one in the living room. Free high speed internet worked fine (bring your own cable). Nice work desk that doubles as dining table. Bedroom equipped with the new sweet sleeper bed. Phone on work desk and in bedroom. Small electronic safe (not big enough for my Dell laptop though)in the drawer. Nice beach view.
Front desk did not offer platinum amenity at check-in and at check-out the clerk did not know anything about this, but just remarked that the hotel was still in its opening phase (sic!). Nice fruit basket was offered in the room upon arrival though.
Some noise audible in the room from the beach boulevard both during day and night.
Restaurant (with beach boulevard views) is smalish but nice and is adjacent to the Bar. When the hotel is full, these areas get quite crowded. Many good restaurants and shopping malls are just a short cab drive away.
Valet parking worked very well.