> SlowTrav > Other > Hotel Reviews > Brazil

Rio de Janeiro: Marina Palace Hotel

Phone: 55.21.2172.1000
www.hotelmarina.com.br/palace

Reviewed by: rzatki from OR, review #1864

When: April 2007

Great Location, Excellent Service, Tired Decor

I stayed at the Marina Palace Hotel during a conference in Rio. The hotel is in a great location in Leblon, next to Ipanema, across the street from the beach and ocean. The beach is quieter than Ipanema and Casablanca.

I was on the 23rd floor and had a fantastic view of the Atlantic Ocean. My room was just off the elevator but I was not bothered by any noise from people getting on and off. My room was very clean but looked tired. It needed a new coat of paint, new carpet and new bathtub. The room was a great size with two double beds and plenty of room in the bathroom. The shower was always hot. It was hot while I was in Rio (about 85-90 degrees) and I had trouble with the AC. There was only an on/off setting. If the AC was not on, it soon became stuffy in the room. When the AC was on, the room was very cold and I dressed in layers.

The hotel has a restaurant, bar and room service. The room service is good. The hotel also has a fitness center and nice swimming pool.

Where the hotel shines is in its service. The front desk staff spoke excellent English and was always very willing to answer my questions. They were very helpful in providing me with the Portugese translation of phrases and items which made a tremendous difference when I needed to shop for some hard to find items as most Brazilians do not speak English. The bellhops and attendants were also excellent. They can almost anticipate what you need every step of the way. The service here is definitely 5 star.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

Hotels

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Reviews by Country

Submit a Review

Hotel Resources

Hotel Listings

* Advertise on Slow Travel

Hotel Booking

Car Rental	Hotel Booking	Flight Booking	Train Tickets	Books, Maps, Events
Europe Cell Phones	Long Distance Cards	Luggage, etc.	Travel Insurance	Classifieds

* Advertise on Slow Travel | Post your travel questions on the Slow Travel Forums