Recommend hotel in Rio please

Will be in Rio for 4 days in March 2015. We don´t want a really flashy upmarket hotel but on the other hand we don´t want a hostal. We would like to be around Copacabana or Ipenema of possible, a small hotel with nice amenities. we don´t really want to be the other side of Sugarloaf. Any suggestions welcomed.

Sandy in Spain

What is your specific price range per day, in reais?

Hi, Sandy, we faced your same issue, and after poring over many travel sites and reviews, settled on the Mar Ipanmea. http://www.maripanema.com.br/portugues/index.asp See tripadvisor reviews for more information. It may not be right for you, but it worked out well for us as a good value, clean and adequate amenities, good location.

We had a fab trip, and loved our too short visit to Rio. Here's more:

https://sites.google.com/site/splendourbrazil/itinerary-rio-iguazu-detail

Bon voyage!

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

Hi, Sandy, we faced your same issue, and after poring over many travel sites and reviews, settled on the Mar Ipanmea. http://www.maripanema.com.br/portugues/index.asp ...snip

Thanks Atremis, but they´re fully booked

Sandy in Spain...still looking

For both beaches, I'd recommend the Miramar. Great pool, view, and great location to beaches and local restaurants. Especially, Bip Bip which is around the corner, 4 min walk.

Kyle

When we stayed in Rio, we were at the Paria Ipanema, right across from the beach. Decent room, a little pricey ($200/night), you have to walk away from the beach a couple of blocks to find restaurants

Pool on the roof

When we stayed in Rio, we were at the Paria Ipanema, right across from the beach. Decent room, a little pricey ($200/night), you have to walk away from the beach a couple of blocks to find restaurants

 

Pool on the roof

Just FYI...it's

Praia Ipanema

(praia=beach)

"We don´t want a really flashy upmarket hotel but on the other hand we don´t want a hostal (sic)." That's just too vague. What is your budget? That's critical. Rio is a particularly expensive city in an expensive country. Posters could offer lots of suggestions, but without a price, it won't mean much. What is your definition of "flashy, upmarket," and why don't you want one? Just price? There's a big, big gap between the most upmarket hotels and hostels. Most hotels there fit in the sector, and there are many, many, many hotels.

We really liked the Hotel Praia Ipenama, for location (right across from the beach), and facilities. I think we paid over $200, which is not much in Rio. In fact, for a beach hotel it's downright low. I'd consider it upmarket, however. The Copacabana Palace is the grande dame of beach area hotels. Pricey. Maybe too upmarket for you? Your exact dates will have a big factor on prices. At least you won't be there during Carnaval. (and hopefully not at the very end of March, as Easter is April 5, and the week before is a heavy travel time) Have you looked at hotel reviews on sites like Tripadvisor?

At least I got the Ipanema part right (LOL)

I guess I should have just said the index finger of Christ the Redeemer's right had points right at the hotel

:-) Do you recommend going from the airport to the Cristo in order to find your hotel by following his finger? A method that's perhaps a little convoluted for most new arrivals. :-)

Or you could simply learn enough basic Portuguese to be intelligible (it's pronounced: PRAH-yah), or indicate the corner of "Av. Vera Souto e R. Paul Redfern".

As one who always considers it important to learn to speak to the locals when traveling......The details do count sometimes, (think for example: beech/bitch/beach in English, or your "paria" which could be heard as part of puta que pariu, an exclamation that is really a swear in Portuguese), and "whatever" is offensive at times in its dismissiveness of the local sensibilities and the lack of respect it conveys.

Okay, what's your budget?

You're right of course, but I am the world's worst when it come to languages. I lived in Puerto Rico for 4 years, hardly learned a word of Spanish

My dad was French-Canadian, tried to teach me a little French, finally gave up in disgust

In 2011 we stayed at the Orla Hotel right across street from Copacabana and easy walk to Ipanema too. Great location and nice size boutique hotel that was not expensive when we stayed.

Just FYI...it's

Praia Ipanema

(praia=beach)

LOL. Didn't notice that. Paria(h) Ipanema would have a whole different implication. Ipanema is in no way an outcast area. I've certainly made worse Portuguese spelling errors, and I've spoken it for years.

Maybe OP will give their budget at some point, unless they looked at some typical prices and are still in shock.

I don't know what your budget is but we found prices for hotels in Rio to be extremely expensive when we were researching for our trip.

We managed to get a very good price for the Arena $251.65 per night. It's a 4* hotel right across from Copacabana beach and on trip advisor it's rated among the top hotels in Rio. Read the reviews. Bear in mind that in south America their standards and ratings are often not as high as North Americans are used to. We also feel somewhat safer in Rio staying in a somewhat better area of town. The rate of $251.65 includes a full breakfast. It's more than we would generally spend on a room but I like the location and looks of the hotel.:) We booked it through Expedia but check out other sights to see what offers the best rate.