Royalty Barra Hotel Rio de Janeiro

Ah yes, what a fine establishment. The ONLY redeeming quality is the view and if you are not keen on the ocean forget it. This hotel is 2 star at best. During my stay which was far from cheap or even ‘reasonable’ I was charged extra at every turn. I even had to pay extra to use the safe which is already in the room. Their web site advise coffee maker in every room. No such thing. The bathrooms a small and dingy and the towels are tiny and hard to come by. Their internet access is expensive, slow and difficult to use. There are lots of hotels along the same strip of beach that offer far more for far less. Forget this place.

I spent 7 days in this hotel on a business trip from September 13-20, 2008. The hotel was mediocre at best. The bed was awfully uncomfortable. The room attendants often did not leave clean towels and I needed to request more. They charge R$5 per day to use the in-room safe--I have never paid to use a safe before. They charge R$40 (US$25) per day for internet service, and the wireless network often dropped the connection. The TV made an awful buzzing noise. When I asked to have it repaired, they simply told me to turn up the volume so the TV sound was louder than the buzz! The breakfast that is included with the room is awful. The eggs were undercooked and the selection was poor compared to other Brazil hotels. I would recommend the new Sheraton that is just down the beach a little ways. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone.