Arena Ipanema Hotel

The location made this a good base for our five nights. Arpoador rocks are right behind the hotel, with a nice stretch of Ipanema beach close by. We could walk to Ipanema centre and Copacabana beach, and the area felt very secure. Breakfast had plenty of variety and was very good; dinner at the restaurant was excellent too. The rooms were clean and the bathroom was fine, though sound insulation wasn't great even on the park side. Service was friendly but not especially personal, and the value could be better. The pool is tiny and has no view. We enjoyed the stay and felt safe, and at the right price I'd recommend it given the other options around.

We got good value for what we paid, and the location was excellent, just a short walk from Ipanema beach. The hotel was clean and the staff were kind and accommodating. Police were regularly stationed outside the entrance to the park next door, which helped us feel very safe. The hallways were quite hot, and the elevator had some problems while we were there, but those were minor issues. I'd absolutely come back.

We had a suite, and the room itself was spacious with great amenities. Still, there are no ocean views even though the hotel is by the beach. The pool was extremely dirty and about the size of a jacuzzi, despite being called a pool. The gym was a dirty room with two pieces of equipment that didn't work, and the dining area felt like a public school cafeteria. The regular hotel rooms are more like you'd expect, but they're very small, smaller than rooms in Europe. The elevators were also a problem throughout our stay and broke down often.

The staff and location are the upsides. Rooms are unbelievably small, and we could hear road noise through the windows. Breakfast was adequate. The street felt much less safe than others we walked along, and there are too many other places to stay.