Majestic Palace Hotel

Dinner was the one part of my stay that felt worthy of five stars. It was excellent and very well done. The breakfast was decent, though it could use more variety in the main dishes and more frequent changes. Sparkling wine or champagne would also bring it closer to what I’d expect from a five-star hotel. Welcome water in the room should be standard too. I come to Florianópolis every year and would like to stay at The Majestic Hotel again, but the damp room is a serious problem. The musty smell was overpowering, and my clothes picked it up quickly. There were no windows for ventilation, just the air conditioning. Upper management really needs to address this. I asked for an early check-in and was given a dirty room. Later, we were charged for drinks left by the previous guest. The manager took the charges off, but there was no real apology or gesture to make up for it, such as a complimentary drink. It left us upset. Most staff were friendly, though a few didn’t feel genuine. The stay was otherwise decent, and the service was exceptional enough that I’d be eager to return. I hope these comments are taken as constructive suggestions that lead to improvements and bring guests back.

You’re paying a lot for the location. We booked the best oceanfront room, around 900 reais a day, but the shoreline isn’t somewhere you can swim or sunbathe. The ocean view and proximity to everything are great, though. The room’s sofa was filthy with stains, and the lounge chair had two holes. For a place calling itself five-star, the furniture needs replacing. The bathroom light was so weak it was ridiculous trying to put on makeup. On Friday night, a DJ event on the rooftop kept us awake from 10:30pm until 3:00AM. I complained four times and nothing was done. The cigar bar by the entrance was another problem: people smoked there despite the stated rule, and the smell drifted into the lobby. With my asthma and my husband’s allergies, that wasn’t fun. No one seemed to speak English among the large staff, except one person we met on our last day. We also tried to go to the restaurant for happy hour on Friday, but they wanted 150 Reais just for entry, with drinks costing extra, so we skipped it. I’ve never come across that before, and my husband and I have traveled to more than 20 countries.

The room was fairly clean, but the moldy smell made it hard to feel good about the stay. It’s an old hotel, and the worn furniture makes it clear that restoration is needed. The staff were nice, though communication was difficult unless you speak Portuguese. English or Spanish might have helped. Getting by in Florianopolis generally seemed hard without Portuguese, even at the airport, restaurants, gas stations, and car rental places. Spanish is somewhat close to Portuguese, so that was the only way we could communicate. Maybe a translation app would work there.

The location is right by the mall and on the waterfront, and the Wi-Fi is incredibly fast. Check-in took just two minutes. I’m staying here now and loving it. The room’s AC and TV channels are great, and the room service menu looks tasty and reasonably priced.