El Aram Imirá Beach Resort

On two separate visits, I got food poisoning both times. That made this a terrible experience, and it’s completely unacceptable. We had an all-inclusive stay, but I had to stop eating the hotel food and spent my time in the room throwing up. I ended up paying extra for medicine and food from outside the hotel, just to get something I could eat without feeling like I’d pass out. The room itself was fine, and the grounds were good, but I won’t go back. Stay away!

Our room had a lovely view of the green water and palm trees, and it made for great photos. Breakfast was decent each morning, the beach access was excellent and private, and the pool was a good size. Those were the positives. The room had no WiFi, so we had to go to the lobby for internet. It was also old and falling apart: the mirrors had black spots, the balcony slider’s broken lock fell out and the door wouldn’t shut all the way, the hot water knob came off and wouldn’t stay put, and the toilet leaked. We told staff about the balcony door, but it wasn’t repaired. For what they charge, they should fix the rooms. I wouldn’t stay here again in Natal, and would pick somewhere else even if it meant being farther from the beach. This is barely a one-star hotel for the price. I can’t see how it rates above two stars, unless it’s just the view.

We spent Christmas here, when the hotel was packed, and still found enough on-site parking. It only cost about R$25 by taxi to get to town, so the distance some earlier reviewers mention may not be a deal breaker for everyone. Staff were generally pleasant and mostly helpful. The hotel has 166 rooms right on the beach, several pools, a tennis court, and microbrew beer at the pool. Many rooms look out over the beach and sea, and the front desk will try to arrange a view if it wasn’t included in your booking. Breakfast is served in a restaurant with a lovely beach view. There are some nice antiques around, but the space could be put to better use: several bar and lounge areas seem to be seating only, though they look like places that used to have servers. The hotel needs some care, with a bit of mold here and there, though nothing outrageous. There’s no room service after 10 PM. For the price, it’s a decent place with a great location, though not perfect.

Almost 50 people on our trip got food poisoning. The rooms’ bathrooms are a wreck. The ocean has a dangerous riptide and there’s no lifeguard. At the hotel, the pool bar shuts at 10pm to add chemicals to the pool, even when it’s full. A marching band once played through the hallways at 5am, and the staff didn’t seem to care. They also regularly try to charge for replacement room keys and pool towels.