Mercure Florianópolis

After our long drive, arriving with a child and an infant, we were disappointed to find no valet and no bellboy. Someone from reception had to help with our luggage. Check-in itself went smoothly, though. The room was ordinary, and several things didn't work well. The old TV had no streaming, the shower came down like a waterfall and left the bathroom soaked, though the water temperature was fine. The bed was on the small side, and the AC only blew cold air, so we couldn't warm the room for the kids. My wife and I have worked in hotels for years. In the past six months we'd stayed at five hotels in Florianópolis, and this was easily the worst. If the hotel wants to compete in one of Brazil's top tourist destinations, almost everything needs improvement.

Breakfast was complete, but the rooms are worn out for the price. We also couldn't use elevator number 9 because it wasn't working.

The room was clean, the bed was nice, and both the air conditioning and shower worked fine. The hotel itself was okay, nothing remarkable. What stayed with us was the daytime receptionist, who was rude, unfriendly, and not helpful at all. A slightly warmer welcome could have made the start of our holiday feel very different. She rushed through our room number and wouldn't write it on the key card holder. We weren't told where the pool was or that we could get a towel card for it. I wonder how an older guest would manage to catch all the information delivered that quickly. People working in hospitality should at least be pleasant and helpful. We shouldn't have to bear the effect of how unhappy she seemed at work.

The pool was small and didn't look very clean. Our room was a reasonable size for two, but once the extra sofa bed was opened there was no room left, and the bed seemed suitable only for a small child. Still, it meets Mercure standards and works well enough for a couple staying a few nights.