Boutique Hotel Castelinho

The hotel building is beautiful and the neighborhood is nice, which is why I was ready to leave a 3 star review despite everything. But then they tried to charge us twice, and that changed things. I'd paid in person after making the reservation on booking.com, which also said to pay in person. Later they called to say I hadn't paid and needed to pay. I'm not paying twice. We stayed two days, and on the second day someone tried to barge into our room. The restaurant staff treated people like crap too. When we tried to order, the waiter gestured for us to wait, then chatted with the staff instead. We were furious, but no one checked on us. I was glad in the end that I hadn't eaten there: cockroaches were roaming the restaurant garden, and with the windows left open all the time they could crawl everywhere, even on the glass. Disgusting. This hotel is fishy.

Boutique Hotel Castelinho was the highlight of my Rio stay. Santa Theresa on the hill has terrific views and puts you close to the lively community down below. The hotel itself feels modern and chic, with spacious, very comfortable rooms and impeccable atmosphere and service. Dining was great too, with good food and service in a calm setting. A day or two around the Copacabana area is probably a must for visitors, but this was a great place to get away from the loud commercial beach scene and finish my Rio vacation in style.

I spent three wonderful days here and will definitely come back. The welcome was warm, the restaurant menu was delicious and refined, and my room was spacious and elegant. The hotel sits high up in Santa Teresa, a postcard-worthy neighborhood with stunning views of Rio. From the outside facade to the restaurant terrace with its breathtaking view, this hotel is a hidden gem. The pool water was perfectly tempered too.

We found it to be great value, with a beautiful hotel in a safe, quiet part of Santa Teresa. The large rooms have high ceilings, and the restaurant, bar, and pool area all have an amazing view of Rio. The restaurant was lovely and excellent. Service was great, the owner was a favorite, and the staff tried really hard. There were two problems. The air conditioning wasn't great and broke on our last day. Then another guest, who'd locked themself out without us knowing, started hammering on the security gate in the middle of the night. That was scary in Rio. There was no 24/7 reception, after-hours phone number, room phone, or guidance on how to reach anyone in an emergency. It felt like a big oversight. Those seem like easy things to fix, but they negatively affected our stay.