Plaza Praia Suites

The location near Iracema Beach was nice, and to be fair, some of the other stranded passengers liked their rooms, including ones with tubs and hot water. My experience was nowhere near four-star quality. After seeing the suite, I would have left if Latam airlines hadn't chosen and paid for it. It felt like a hostel, with a bare-bones room, and desperately needed a makeover and better customer service. We had no hot water despite complaining several times. The hotel restaurant was disappointing too. After eight hours waiting at the airport, tired and hungry, we weren't given a meal. I reached the restaurant at 9:50 p.m., but although it closed at 10, they said dine-in service had ended and room service was available. It took 30 minutes to get a menu, which offered only sandwiches. I ordered one and water. They said there was water in the minibar, but the old dorm-style cube fridge was empty. Midnight passed with no sandwich and no call, so I went out looking for food. Restaurants and street vendors were all closed by 10, supposedly because COVID-19 spreads more after that time. Breakfast wasn't much better. I showed up at 9 a.m., an hour before it ended, and nearly everything was gone except sliced hot dogs. Cabbies aggressively circled the lobby.

The place was always neat and clean, and everything else was perfect. Still, for a four-star hotel, there are a few things that fall short. There’s only a shower, no tub, and the small 24-inch TV sits far from the bed at an awkward angle. The furniture and bed linens also feel a bit old and look cheap.

The price was the best I found, and the hotel is right by the beach, with places like pharmacies and bakeries nearby. Breakfast was reasonable, though the selection could be better.

Fortaleza is one of the best cities I've been to. I liked the hotel and the food, beaches, and warm welcome from the local people. Plaza Praia Suites is a good place to stay, just a couple of minutes' walk from the beach. I'd recommend it.