Rio
 

I'm new here but I did search and read several hotel threads. Most of the recommended hotels are not available when we will be there. Therefore I still have questions.

I will be in Rio February 9 through 12. I have a room at the J.W. Marriott with breakfast, executive lounge access and an Atrium view. Other cheaper nearby hotels are already full. Is it just high season or is something going on then? Carnival is in March.

We can get a city view room with breakfast at the Copacabana Plaza for an extra $297 tax included. The rate includes two free 50 minute massages which would cost about $130 USD each although we'd not pay that much. Is the hotel special enough to justify the extra cost. before tax the nightly rate is $435 which is cheap for that hotel but expensive otherwise.

The Sheraton on the beach came well recommended but a friend who stayed there said it is so far from everything that we'd do better at Copacabana beach. Agree?

I have stayed at the Marriott, Rio. It is very nice and it is just across from the ocean. You should enjoy staying there. You stated that other hotels are already full. This is not unusual. If you continue to check for vacancies, you might get lucky.

I have also stayed at the Copacabana Palace back in 2003. I was not impressed at all with the hotel. It is overpriced for what you get. The hotel is very old and has a musty smell in the lobby despite its popularity and upgrading. The room I got was noisy and did not have an ocean view. I left after only one day and moved to the Marriott.

The gimmick about the "free" massage only shows how desperate the hotel is to get guests. Are you sure you were quoted dollars for the massage instead of reais (local currency)? If local currency, the "free" massage would be overpriced. If the rate was in dollars you would be taken advantage of without question.

There are "special" rooms and areas of the hotel that are nice but they are usually reserved for high profile guests.

Enjoy Rio but be careful along the beaches in Copa at night.

Thanks. Think we will stay at the J.W.

The 50 minute massage is free. The spa price for a 60 minute massage was $r230 so I guessed a dollar value for 50 minutes.

If you put full retail on the massage, the two hotels are priced about the same.

I will keep looking as my Marriott reservation can be cancelled without penalty. If you were looking, what hotels would you favor?

If you are looking for another hotel that is near Copacabana Palace and Marriott, you should consider Luxor Regente Copacabana Hotel Rio de Janeiro (av. Atlantica 3716). The hotel is part of the "Golden Tulip" chain of Brazilian hotels. Here is a web address that will give you more information about the hotel - http://www.brazils-hotels.com/riodrege.htm- You will see a photo of the hotel at this site.

In my opinion the hotel is nice but it is not as nice as Marriott. The location is great and the hotel restaurant is superb. The downside of staying at this hotel is with the rooms. Half of the rooms have been upgraded while the other half have not. Therefore, you take a chance on getting one of the older rooms if you choose this hotel.

I have also stayed here and liked it and was lucky to get an upgraded room.

Comparison of the two hotels, I like Marriott better.

The Copacabana Palace is wildly over-priced as a trophy hotel. Unless you pay well above the "entry-level" rate, or have other leverage, you're likely to get a small, shabby room with no view at all.

You can find better value elsewhere, and certainly get a more relaxed and secure atmosphere round the headland in Ipanema. There's another Golden Tulip hotel here, the Ipanema Plaza, a much simpler hotel half a block in from the beach.

If you can stand being a short ride away from the big name areas, the Intercontinental is in a very smart area of the beach a couple of miles further on from Ipanema.

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I agree with the above excerpt. I concur based on my one-day stay there and my subsequent visits to the hotel to visit friends while they stayed at the hotel.
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I would stay at the JWM because you already have the deal. The Copacabana Palace is priced given a large "status" premium. You can easily dine at their superb Italian Restaurant, Cipriani, and have all the experience you'll desire, because the rooms are nothing magnificent.

As for the two Sheratons, if you're looking to score something with FA's stay at one of them, because they're both overrun with them. If you want DL FA's however, stay at the Intercontinental. Otherwise these properties have nothing special to recommend them.

The views from the JWM are wonderful. I still have one I took while there a few years ago as my screensaver, even though I live in Rio.

Rio gets hotels fully booked quite easy, because it has become a popular destinations with major international events/conferences and also because of the hype around the destination.

Note that the Copacabana Palace has renovated its rooms. As you said, the problems with the two Sheratons is location, one in Barra and another in Leblon but too far out.

BA crew stay at the JWM (at least they used to stay when BA operated LHR-GRU-GIG), with the introduction of BA LHR-GIG dedicated service I assume BA still has a deal with JWM?

Rgs,