The Sheraton da Bahia Hotel, Salvador, Brazil [Master Thread]
Aug 25, 2013, 4:04 pm
#16
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Programs: Marriott Gold, IHG Elite KLM Flying Blue,
Posts: 519
Review of the new Sheraton Bahia
Pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/8579375...7635180024638/
My transfer was arranged via the hotel and via Grou, a large touroperator in Brazil, for an economic rate.
The ride was long however, due to the trafficjams to the city.
It was rather exciting to enter this new Starwood hotel in Salvador. My first impression of the lobby was a bit disappointing. I thought, Hey did they forget to replace some “old” furniture here. At the reception I received a warm welcome from the management of the hotel. The check in was fast. When I walked to the elevator I was surprised to see such a classic elevator signs. And looking into the brown interior design of the lobby with some odd chairs I didn’t know what to think of this ambiance. Brown is not my favorite color.
I was not escorted to my suite. My suite was not spacious. I did like the modern interior, and smart use of the available space. In the living was a desk with chair, a nice modern couch with table, and a large flatsquare tv. In the brown closed was a coffeecorner with a kind of nespresso machine. I could not find a manual so I tried myself. No milk was available and the maid did forget to give me more coffeecups the next days. It was not a problem since my room was opposite of the Sheraton Lounge!
In the evening the lights in the living appeared to be very glare, it felt as being in an office. No cozy lights. The hotel managed to find a cozy light for me and it was a big difference! I hope the hotel will place these lamps in all livings of the suites.
One can enter the bedroom via an open space, no door here. A large Sheraton Sweet Sleeper left almost no more space in the room, but it was ok to walk here. The bathroom was very small and narrow. When opening the door one could not reach the toilet, only for the ones with a very good figure or children. When you want to go to the toilet, you first have to close the door again so the limited space is free to walk. The bathroom offers a rainforestshower, a small but nice modern designed sink, upgraded bathamenities, a bathrobe and some fluffy towels.
In the room were some fragrance stick, I am allergic for this and put it on the corridor. I appeared to be allergic for the duvet and the hotel replaced this with some cotton covers. So that was a nice solution.
I did no receive a welcome amenity or welcome card. But instead a farewell amenity!
The big advantage was the spacious terrace, with table and chairs, a sunbed and even a Jacuzzi. On the side a small plant was placed, very tasteful!
I did not have the chance to use the Jacuzi due to the weather and my program. But I have enjoyed my moment on the terrace when the sun was shining. It was great to have a coffee here in the morning. The view was the park in front of the hotel.
I enjoyed my suite with the nice terrace, but did find the suite not spacious. The bathroom was much too cramped and I do not like a suite with a bathroom without a bathtub! It was a problem I noticed in more Starwood hotels in Brazil!
The corridors are noisy, when the personnel ride a trolley in the corridor it make a lot of noise.
The interior of the Sheraton Clublounge was very stylish and it was like the rest of the hotel, brand new. But it was very narrow and a bit cramped. The terrace however is great, and it make the lounge a better experience. It would have been much more spacious and attractive if instead of walls, the lounge would have open glass doors to the terrace. This way the open space of the terrace would be integrated in the feeling of space in the lounge.
The buffet was small but very stylish and tasteful. However the selection was very limited and rather disappointing. No free drinks or hot and cold snacks here in the evening. It was very, very disappointing and I have never experienced such a low kind of buffet in a Sheraton Lounge. The hotel told me management decided not to offer this. It seems Starwood hotels in South America may make a choice not to offer this to their most valued guests! I did get my glass of wine with some canapé s, on a individual notice on my first evening in the lounge after making some inquiries at the reception and management.
I did hear most of the businessguest did not go to the lounge for long. Well I do understand this very much, why should they when there is nearly anything to enjoy here? In most Starwood hotels the lounges are very appreciated and do have nice services to their guests. Its just very disappointing the Sheraton Bahia does not!
The breakfast selection in the lounge is something to Cry Out Loud! Cereals appeared to be ok, but the rest was not available or only in a very very selected way. A few “baby” bread rolls ( 5?) 3 slices of cold cut meat and cheese. However a very nice presentation, also for the scrambled eggs in small porcelain jars.
Quality of the products is high and the coffee is delicious. And the service, when they understand, is with a smile and in the appropriate stylish way. Bravo! Having breakfast on the terrace is nice, since it offer a nice view at the right end.
Another problem in the Sheraton lounge: not one of the waiters speaks English. It was sometime a funny situation, when I tried to make my wish clear with my “hands and feet”!
Breakfast in the Passeio da Vitoria Restaurant was a world of difference. This buffet offered a very large range of high quality breakfast items and it was easy to know which products were offered since small card with information could tell you. I did miss a toaster however, but used the tosti machine to make one. Several low fat products made me happy, like the yoghurt.
I always liked to sit outside, so every time I was having my food on the beautiful terrace, with a view of the park. I do regret the heavy noise here during the day and in the evening.
Though some waiters speak some English words, in general it was problem to communicate. For instance when I wanted an omelet at the omelet station the very young cook did not understand me. After three attempt it seemed she did and would bring me the omelet….. Well after half an hour and asking again I still did not have one… a waiter helped me out. The omelet with tapioca was very very dry and not to my taste.
In general I had a nice breakfast experience, the buffet was very large and I enjoyed the wide selection. But since almost nobody did speak English it was sometimes a frustrating experience.
The same situation occurred while dining in the evening in this restaurant. A difference seems the attitude of the waiters. They smile much more and seem eager to help. Only most of them do not know how.
My first dinner was a little funny. The a la carte selection was way to small so I wanted to have the buffet. The buffet offered a large range of my fav. salads and ingredients, and the desserts offered the same large range of selections. Yummy…..!
However for the main course only a very selected range of dishes were offered!! Only one selection of meat for instance, some pasta and a sauce. The sauce was like soup. One of the problems was ofcourse the lack of waiters who speak English! But the waiters do everything to try to help. So with “hands and feet” I tried to order what I wanted. I am sure they wanted to help me but they did not know how. Many waiter available but they just did not know how to serve. They just walked around in their beautiful 9white) uniforms. One waitress did go one step further, Andrea did everything she could think of and helped me out on her own way. She was really a nice person and was so willing to learn.
The quality and taste of the main dishe was low and could be much better. I had the choice of the beef and it was very very dry. I asked for gravy or sauce but they did not understand. Finally with the help of the receptionist, who did speak English, and after explaining again and again I did get some gravy!
One evening I did have a special dinner here, everything was taken care of and the service was professional and the waiter did speak some English. My special beef was from the farms in South Brazil, and it was just so delicious. Just as the perfect wines. This was promising for the future. So, I had two very different experiences here.
In the suite I found a book, the hotel running he already for 60 years and rather famous. I had a talk with the hotel concerning the “old” appearing eclectic brown style of the interiors. However the style is based on the time the hotel opened her doors, 60 years ago. I could make another interpretation of the style now. But still brown is still not my fav. color…… and I did not get used to this interior style. However, from a historical perspective it was allright.
The poolarea offered a beautiful bar with excellent service and even a waitress who speaks very well English. The dimensions of the pool were ok. Enough space for the stylish sun beds an tables with chairs.
I did pay a visit to the fitness room and it was very nice, modern machines and I did notice a trainer.
The Spa offered several treatments, however I did not like the ambiance so much. I did not find it luxurious.
The hotel offers a small nice shop and Grou, a touroperater with a the most helpful and friendly assistant you can ever find! And she does speak very well English! She made my stay much nicer, since she was so helpful with my tours and transfers.
I did have a tour with mr. Dirk Raymond, he speaks many languages and also Dutch. He appeared to be a very friendly dedicated and intelligent tourguide. He could tell me interesting stories concerning the old buildings (Pelourinho) and history of Salvador, Brazil and Portugal. His emailadres is: [email protected]. The other driver and guide, mrs. Elenia was also very professional and friendly. Only she did not speak English. But with google translation on her tablet, we could manage. They do offer very economic rate for private tours.
The location of the hotel is perfect, between the beach and the historical city.
Well resuming, my fav. color is not brown…., I have to look to the ‘old “ interior designs of the public areas of the hotel with a historical perspective, my suite had a nice modern interior but was rather smallish. The bathroom was cramped and you cannot reach the toilet when opening the doors, it misses a bathtub. I liked the large terrace though. Its nice to have a coffeemachine but everyday house keeping should refill the cups. The livingroom does miss a light for a warm ambiance.
Housekeeping should avoid to put shoes in different places, so I do not have to look for my shoes behind a curtain.
Clublounge boasts a classy interior but is cramped, just too smallish. The terrace is nice and why not integrate it more in the area of the Clublounge with a glass wall with opening or sliding doors? The buffet is much too limited and one of the biggest disappointments was no offerings of alcoholic drinks and snacks in the evening. The breakfastbuffet is stylish but too limited to have a nice breakfast. Service is with a smile but without any English understanding.
Breakfast in the mainrestaurant on the terrace was great, and it was nice to have it outside on the terrace, quality is high in general and the selection was wide.
My dining experiences appeared to be extremely different, however the quality and taste of the food should improve. The personnel did not know of the promotion for SPG’s and even the reception did not know. I had to prove this with a print out! I guess the personnel in the restaurant should know this.
On the bill of the restaurant the discount was not calculated, and according to the reception it would be calculated on my roomaccount. But Hey, how could I see this promotion on my bill? Well I could not! So I think they should improve this. Though I was sure mrs. Carla would help me out with that! (And she did!)
Personnel at the reception can be friendly and some speak English. But sometime they can be a little stubborn.
I want to thank mrs. Carla and mr. Bruno for the arrangements they made to make my stay more pleasant. I did talk with them concerning the issues I encountered and I know they will do their utmost to make the hotel even better. And, the hotel is just now only 3 month in operations as a Sheraton hotel, so it just needs some time to improve.
Well I do hope to come back here but I did have some serious issues during my stay!
Pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/8579375...7635180024638/
My transfer was arranged via the hotel and via Grou, a large touroperator in Brazil, for an economic rate.
The ride was long however, due to the trafficjams to the city.
It was rather exciting to enter this new Starwood hotel in Salvador. My first impression of the lobby was a bit disappointing. I thought, Hey did they forget to replace some “old” furniture here. At the reception I received a warm welcome from the management of the hotel. The check in was fast. When I walked to the elevator I was surprised to see such a classic elevator signs. And looking into the brown interior design of the lobby with some odd chairs I didn’t know what to think of this ambiance. Brown is not my favorite color.
I was not escorted to my suite. My suite was not spacious. I did like the modern interior, and smart use of the available space. In the living was a desk with chair, a nice modern couch with table, and a large flatsquare tv. In the brown closed was a coffeecorner with a kind of nespresso machine. I could not find a manual so I tried myself. No milk was available and the maid did forget to give me more coffeecups the next days. It was not a problem since my room was opposite of the Sheraton Lounge!
In the evening the lights in the living appeared to be very glare, it felt as being in an office. No cozy lights. The hotel managed to find a cozy light for me and it was a big difference! I hope the hotel will place these lamps in all livings of the suites.
One can enter the bedroom via an open space, no door here. A large Sheraton Sweet Sleeper left almost no more space in the room, but it was ok to walk here. The bathroom was very small and narrow. When opening the door one could not reach the toilet, only for the ones with a very good figure or children. When you want to go to the toilet, you first have to close the door again so the limited space is free to walk. The bathroom offers a rainforestshower, a small but nice modern designed sink, upgraded bathamenities, a bathrobe and some fluffy towels.
In the room were some fragrance stick, I am allergic for this and put it on the corridor. I appeared to be allergic for the duvet and the hotel replaced this with some cotton covers. So that was a nice solution.
I did no receive a welcome amenity or welcome card. But instead a farewell amenity!
The big advantage was the spacious terrace, with table and chairs, a sunbed and even a Jacuzzi. On the side a small plant was placed, very tasteful!
I did not have the chance to use the Jacuzi due to the weather and my program. But I have enjoyed my moment on the terrace when the sun was shining. It was great to have a coffee here in the morning. The view was the park in front of the hotel.
I enjoyed my suite with the nice terrace, but did find the suite not spacious. The bathroom was much too cramped and I do not like a suite with a bathroom without a bathtub! It was a problem I noticed in more Starwood hotels in Brazil!
The corridors are noisy, when the personnel ride a trolley in the corridor it make a lot of noise.
The interior of the Sheraton Clublounge was very stylish and it was like the rest of the hotel, brand new. But it was very narrow and a bit cramped. The terrace however is great, and it make the lounge a better experience. It would have been much more spacious and attractive if instead of walls, the lounge would have open glass doors to the terrace. This way the open space of the terrace would be integrated in the feeling of space in the lounge.
The buffet was small but very stylish and tasteful. However the selection was very limited and rather disappointing. No free drinks or hot and cold snacks here in the evening. It was very, very disappointing and I have never experienced such a low kind of buffet in a Sheraton Lounge. The hotel told me management decided not to offer this. It seems Starwood hotels in South America may make a choice not to offer this to their most valued guests! I did get my glass of wine with some canapé s, on a individual notice on my first evening in the lounge after making some inquiries at the reception and management.
I did hear most of the businessguest did not go to the lounge for long. Well I do understand this very much, why should they when there is nearly anything to enjoy here? In most Starwood hotels the lounges are very appreciated and do have nice services to their guests. Its just very disappointing the Sheraton Bahia does not!
The breakfast selection in the lounge is something to Cry Out Loud! Cereals appeared to be ok, but the rest was not available or only in a very very selected way. A few “baby” bread rolls ( 5?) 3 slices of cold cut meat and cheese. However a very nice presentation, also for the scrambled eggs in small porcelain jars.
Quality of the products is high and the coffee is delicious. And the service, when they understand, is with a smile and in the appropriate stylish way. Bravo! Having breakfast on the terrace is nice, since it offer a nice view at the right end.
Another problem in the Sheraton lounge: not one of the waiters speaks English. It was sometime a funny situation, when I tried to make my wish clear with my “hands and feet”!
Breakfast in the Passeio da Vitoria Restaurant was a world of difference. This buffet offered a very large range of high quality breakfast items and it was easy to know which products were offered since small card with information could tell you. I did miss a toaster however, but used the tosti machine to make one. Several low fat products made me happy, like the yoghurt.
I always liked to sit outside, so every time I was having my food on the beautiful terrace, with a view of the park. I do regret the heavy noise here during the day and in the evening.
Though some waiters speak some English words, in general it was problem to communicate. For instance when I wanted an omelet at the omelet station the very young cook did not understand me. After three attempt it seemed she did and would bring me the omelet….. Well after half an hour and asking again I still did not have one… a waiter helped me out. The omelet with tapioca was very very dry and not to my taste.
In general I had a nice breakfast experience, the buffet was very large and I enjoyed the wide selection. But since almost nobody did speak English it was sometimes a frustrating experience.
The same situation occurred while dining in the evening in this restaurant. A difference seems the attitude of the waiters. They smile much more and seem eager to help. Only most of them do not know how.
My first dinner was a little funny. The a la carte selection was way to small so I wanted to have the buffet. The buffet offered a large range of my fav. salads and ingredients, and the desserts offered the same large range of selections. Yummy…..!
However for the main course only a very selected range of dishes were offered!! Only one selection of meat for instance, some pasta and a sauce. The sauce was like soup. One of the problems was ofcourse the lack of waiters who speak English! But the waiters do everything to try to help. So with “hands and feet” I tried to order what I wanted. I am sure they wanted to help me but they did not know how. Many waiter available but they just did not know how to serve. They just walked around in their beautiful 9white) uniforms. One waitress did go one step further, Andrea did everything she could think of and helped me out on her own way. She was really a nice person and was so willing to learn.
The quality and taste of the main dishe was low and could be much better. I had the choice of the beef and it was very very dry. I asked for gravy or sauce but they did not understand. Finally with the help of the receptionist, who did speak English, and after explaining again and again I did get some gravy!
One evening I did have a special dinner here, everything was taken care of and the service was professional and the waiter did speak some English. My special beef was from the farms in South Brazil, and it was just so delicious. Just as the perfect wines. This was promising for the future. So, I had two very different experiences here.
In the suite I found a book, the hotel running he already for 60 years and rather famous. I had a talk with the hotel concerning the “old” appearing eclectic brown style of the interiors. However the style is based on the time the hotel opened her doors, 60 years ago. I could make another interpretation of the style now. But still brown is still not my fav. color…… and I did not get used to this interior style. However, from a historical perspective it was allright.
The poolarea offered a beautiful bar with excellent service and even a waitress who speaks very well English. The dimensions of the pool were ok. Enough space for the stylish sun beds an tables with chairs.
I did pay a visit to the fitness room and it was very nice, modern machines and I did notice a trainer.
The Spa offered several treatments, however I did not like the ambiance so much. I did not find it luxurious.
The hotel offers a small nice shop and Grou, a touroperater with a the most helpful and friendly assistant you can ever find! And she does speak very well English! She made my stay much nicer, since she was so helpful with my tours and transfers.
I did have a tour with mr. Dirk Raymond, he speaks many languages and also Dutch. He appeared to be a very friendly dedicated and intelligent tourguide. He could tell me interesting stories concerning the old buildings (Pelourinho) and history of Salvador, Brazil and Portugal. His emailadres is: [email protected]. The other driver and guide, mrs. Elenia was also very professional and friendly. Only she did not speak English. But with google translation on her tablet, we could manage. They do offer very economic rate for private tours.
The location of the hotel is perfect, between the beach and the historical city.
Well resuming, my fav. color is not brown…., I have to look to the ‘old “ interior designs of the public areas of the hotel with a historical perspective, my suite had a nice modern interior but was rather smallish. The bathroom was cramped and you cannot reach the toilet when opening the doors, it misses a bathtub. I liked the large terrace though. Its nice to have a coffeemachine but everyday house keeping should refill the cups. The livingroom does miss a light for a warm ambiance.
Housekeeping should avoid to put shoes in different places, so I do not have to look for my shoes behind a curtain.
Clublounge boasts a classy interior but is cramped, just too smallish. The terrace is nice and why not integrate it more in the area of the Clublounge with a glass wall with opening or sliding doors? The buffet is much too limited and one of the biggest disappointments was no offerings of alcoholic drinks and snacks in the evening. The breakfastbuffet is stylish but too limited to have a nice breakfast. Service is with a smile but without any English understanding.
Breakfast in the mainrestaurant on the terrace was great, and it was nice to have it outside on the terrace, quality is high in general and the selection was wide.
My dining experiences appeared to be extremely different, however the quality and taste of the food should improve. The personnel did not know of the promotion for SPG’s and even the reception did not know. I had to prove this with a print out! I guess the personnel in the restaurant should know this.
On the bill of the restaurant the discount was not calculated, and according to the reception it would be calculated on my roomaccount. But Hey, how could I see this promotion on my bill? Well I could not! So I think they should improve this. Though I was sure mrs. Carla would help me out with that! (And she did!)
Personnel at the reception can be friendly and some speak English. But sometime they can be a little stubborn.
I want to thank mrs. Carla and mr. Bruno for the arrangements they made to make my stay more pleasant. I did talk with them concerning the issues I encountered and I know they will do their utmost to make the hotel even better. And, the hotel is just now only 3 month in operations as a Sheraton hotel, so it just needs some time to improve.
Well I do hope to come back here but I did have some serious issues during my stay!
Pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/8579375...7635180024638/
Aug 26, 2013, 4:48 am
#17
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: GVA
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Thanks for the review! Actually looks nicer than I thought... Will have to try it in the coming months.
However, with so many amazing seafood restaurants it seems like a waste to even attempt to eat anything other than breakfast at the hotel.
However, with so many amazing seafood restaurants it seems like a waste to even attempt to eat anything other than breakfast at the hotel.
Aug 26, 2013, 10:52 am
#18
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Aug 26, 2013, 11:16 am
#19
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Programs: Marriott Gold, IHG Elite KLM Flying Blue,
Posts: 519
Your welcome! Well, why don't you give it a chance. I have noticed they will open two new restaurants this year!
Aug 26, 2013, 11:21 am
#20
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Programs: Marriott Gold, IHG Elite KLM Flying Blue,
Posts: 519
It would have been nice to see how many times it was read, but now its not possible anymore, I regret. Though I do now merger of threads is ok, this time it was kind of useless since it was the first review!
Aug 26, 2013, 12:20 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
To answer my own question, yes I see the hotel available. For the low price of US$960 per night! A little price gouging going on? Is the normal rack rate $960 for the lowest level room?
Aug 26, 2013, 12:49 pm
#22
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Programs: UA Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, IHG Platinum, Accor Silver, Choice Privileges Gold
Posts: 2,070
Well, unfortunately, price gouging is to be expected for an event like this.
I was in Salvador 13 years ago, and loved it. Can't believe I haven't been back since then, but hopefully the next couple of years, and hopefully checking this place out! tls
I was in Salvador 13 years ago, and loved it. Can't believe I haven't been back since then, but hopefully the next couple of years, and hopefully checking this place out! tls
Sep 2, 2013, 11:37 am
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: australia
Posts: 5,762
http://latin-america.starwoodoffers....HOTELOP_LAD_EN
Only problem is there don't seem to be any dates loaded with this rate plan (LTNSUN) for this hotel. Maybe a Lurker can help with this?
BOOK YOUR STAY IN ONE OF OUR BRAND NEW HOTELS IN LATIN AMERICA AND EARN 1000 STARPOINTS®.
Be among the first guests and receive special benefits in celebration of our new openings!
• Special Rates with Breakfast Included
• Earn 1000 bonus Starpoints per stay*
*A stay of at least two nights is required. Restrictions apply
Sheraton da Bahia Hotel, Salvador
1000 bonus Starpoints per stay September 01- November 30
Valid all days of the week
Be among the first guests and receive special benefits in celebration of our new openings!
• Special Rates with Breakfast Included
• Earn 1000 bonus Starpoints per stay*
*A stay of at least two nights is required. Restrictions apply
Sheraton da Bahia Hotel, Salvador
1000 bonus Starpoints per stay September 01- November 30
Valid all days of the week
Sep 12, 2013, 1:02 am
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: australia
Posts: 5,762
Thanks to a Lurker who followed up on the above post the rate is now loaded for the Sheraton Salvador - the dates I checked it is $5-$20/night above the lowest rate but the LTNSUN rate is not prepaid and includes the 1000pts per stay ( I think all rates include breakfast)
Sep 12, 2013, 2:34 am
#25
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Sep 12, 2013, 2:43 am
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: australia
Posts: 5,762
Sep 12, 2013, 2:49 am
#27
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I think the fact that there are rooms still available, even on game nights, shows that they aren't going to get that price from too many people. I think they will have to eventually lower the prices, at least for periods when there are no matches in Salvador. Or have a lot of empty rooms. We'll see when the group matches are slotted with the teams.
Feb 25, 2014, 8:08 pm
#28
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New York
Programs: AA Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 592
I think the fact that there are rooms still available, even on game nights, shows that they aren't going to get that price from too many people. I think they will have to eventually lower the prices, at least for periods when there are no matches in Salvador. Or have a lot of empty rooms. We'll see when the group matches are slotted with the teams.
Jul 9, 2014, 9:28 am
#30
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The rates dropped down very low the day after the last match in Salvador. And a few days before that I attended a Moments event in the Club and met some of the management, so I decided to stay a night here before flying out.
First was the Moments event which was great, as they all are. This was was lightly attended and featured drinks and food in the club and the Brazil-Colombia match on TV. They also had some live music on the terrace. Of course since Brazil won the match everyone was happy and like all Brazil matches, up til the end, fireworks were plentiful throughout Salvador and fun to watch from the 12th floor terrace.
And then several days later I checked in as many people were checking out. I found that this hotel is a historically listed and was the first major hotel in Salvador, back in 1962 I think. It's a very nice building.
Like everywhere in Brazil English is rare. But I was there for two weeks so learned a bit of Portuguese and got along fine. The parking valet did not speak English, but one of the bellman did so that was ok. The front desk staff all seemed to speak English well enough and the senior staff were fine.
I booked directly with the hotel and gave them my Platinum number. It never showed up on spg.com and I expect I may have to chase the stay credit, but we'll see. I was upgraded to a large 4th floor room with a huge terrace. It seems that its only the 4th floor that has the large terraces. I guess you would call it a junior suite or exec room by Euro standards. Two rooms, two TV's, but only a desk separating the two rooms. Nice new bathroom and bed, etc. The Wifi worked fine. It is completely open and free in the lobby and of course free for Plat's in the room. In the room was a fruit display, two pitchers of local juice and a large bottle of water.
Happy hour in the lounge had limited food options, but ok quality. Only beer and wine seemed to be available for alcohol, but they have the nice local lemonade which is great. But there was a problem when I was about to leave the Club in that I was presented with a bill for all the alcohol! At no time was I told that alcohol was charged and of course I wasn't charged earlier at the Moments event so it was a bit of a surprise to see a bill. Future guests should beware. I didn't get a chance to ask management what the policy really is. I was able to order from the room service menu and have some food brought to me in the club. I thought this was fine as the wine and beer was free. In the end the charge was removed from my bill so I have no serious complaint.
The bars in the lobby and pool deck seemed very well equipped and had a good selection of local Cachaça and wines. Very good service throughout the hotel.
The pool deck is quite nice with plenty of space and a kids pool too. One issue though is that they have set up cabanas, but the roof of the cabanas are open so no escape from the sun for those of us who are fair.
Location wise you can walk to the city market (which is a lot of fun) and if you like walking, all the way to the old town bars and restaurants. I guess that would be at least a kilometer or more though. You could even walk to the stadium as I'm sure many fans did. Otherwise Salvador is a car town so I rented from Avis for the two weeks I was there. Parking is relatively cheap at the Sheraton, R$20 for overnight. There were always taxis out front too.
In short, this hotel is a very nice addition to Starwood South America and Salvador is a great place to visit. As is the rest of Bahia. I look forward to returning, possibly for Carnival.
First was the Moments event which was great, as they all are. This was was lightly attended and featured drinks and food in the club and the Brazil-Colombia match on TV. They also had some live music on the terrace. Of course since Brazil won the match everyone was happy and like all Brazil matches, up til the end, fireworks were plentiful throughout Salvador and fun to watch from the 12th floor terrace.
And then several days later I checked in as many people were checking out. I found that this hotel is a historically listed and was the first major hotel in Salvador, back in 1962 I think. It's a very nice building.
Like everywhere in Brazil English is rare. But I was there for two weeks so learned a bit of Portuguese and got along fine. The parking valet did not speak English, but one of the bellman did so that was ok. The front desk staff all seemed to speak English well enough and the senior staff were fine.
I booked directly with the hotel and gave them my Platinum number. It never showed up on spg.com and I expect I may have to chase the stay credit, but we'll see. I was upgraded to a large 4th floor room with a huge terrace. It seems that its only the 4th floor that has the large terraces. I guess you would call it a junior suite or exec room by Euro standards. Two rooms, two TV's, but only a desk separating the two rooms. Nice new bathroom and bed, etc. The Wifi worked fine. It is completely open and free in the lobby and of course free for Plat's in the room. In the room was a fruit display, two pitchers of local juice and a large bottle of water.
Happy hour in the lounge had limited food options, but ok quality. Only beer and wine seemed to be available for alcohol, but they have the nice local lemonade which is great. But there was a problem when I was about to leave the Club in that I was presented with a bill for all the alcohol! At no time was I told that alcohol was charged and of course I wasn't charged earlier at the Moments event so it was a bit of a surprise to see a bill. Future guests should beware. I didn't get a chance to ask management what the policy really is. I was able to order from the room service menu and have some food brought to me in the club. I thought this was fine as the wine and beer was free. In the end the charge was removed from my bill so I have no serious complaint.
The bars in the lobby and pool deck seemed very well equipped and had a good selection of local Cachaça and wines. Very good service throughout the hotel.
The pool deck is quite nice with plenty of space and a kids pool too. One issue though is that they have set up cabanas, but the roof of the cabanas are open so no escape from the sun for those of us who are fair.
Location wise you can walk to the city market (which is a lot of fun) and if you like walking, all the way to the old town bars and restaurants. I guess that would be at least a kilometer or more though. You could even walk to the stadium as I'm sure many fans did. Otherwise Salvador is a car town so I rented from Avis for the two weeks I was there. Parking is relatively cheap at the Sheraton, R$20 for overnight. There were always taxis out front too.
In short, this hotel is a very nice addition to Starwood South America and Salvador is a great place to visit. As is the rest of Bahia. I look forward to returning, possibly for Carnival.