Mabu Royal & Premium

The location is excellent, very central and within walking distance of most places. My room was small, but that didn’t bother me. The bed was okay, and I was glad the window opened. Service was fine, and there always seemed to be a multilingual person at the front desk. Breakfast was poor, with few choices and mediocre to bad quality, though the coffee machine was inoffensive. The bathrooms are the big problem. They smell eggy nearly all the time, and the odor gets into the room. Maybe it’s the plumbing, moldy grout or tile, or the weak toilets. I’ve had three toilets in a row clog badly enough that I needed maintenance with a plunger. I do a courtesy flush without paper and use very little toilet paper each time, but here it seems you can only flush one bit at a time. That can’t be responsible water use, since five or six flushes in one visit could use as much water as one or two flushes on a standard 1.6 gpf toilet. I’ve even seen signs in some bathrooms asking people to put toilet paper in the trash. I can’t imagine people who are used to flushing it doing that. A business hotel should have toilets that work the way international business travelers expect. I’m tired of leaving negative reviews for hotels in Brasil, but these basic issues keep coming up.

The evening bellhop and security man who checked us in was very professional and set a standard the hotel never lived up to. The place is centrally located and has a European style, but we had a lot of problems. There was no iron or onsite laundry, housekeeping never came even after we asked, and the room’s heating and cooling didn’t work properly. At first I blamed the language barrier, but that wasn’t it. Not a positive stay, and I don’t recommend it.

It’s an older building that’s been renovated, and the facilities are good quality and meet your needs. The environment was clean and air-conditioned, with a menu offering several choices and room service. The staff were attentive, understanding, and ready to help in different languages.

It’s just a few steps from Guaira Theater and two blocks from Passeio Público. The noise insulation could be better, but it’s tolerable. Breakfast is very good, and there’s valet parking. For the price, it’s excellent value in a very good location.