Hotel Nacional Rio de Janeiro

São Conrado is such a lovely neighbourhood, and the view from our room was beautiful: sea, mountains, and favela Rochina, all through huge windows. The room was spacious, with a huge, very comfortable bed, and the bathroom was great too. The gym was very good and had an amazing view. Breakfast was just okay, and you have to pay for water. At check-in, the woman at reception was rude at first. Once my partner showed up, she suddenly became much more professional.

São Conrado is a stunning bay, and Hotel Nacional Rio De Janeiro has the potential to be a great hotel. In practice, though, the property badly needs renovation. The restaurant, rooms, and pool area all feel tired. We stayed seven nights, and the floor was washed only on the first day, so after that we had to live with the dirt or try to keep the room clean ourselves. Towels were old, tiny, and almost see through. The room and hallway also felt stuffy, sometimes to the point that it was hard to breathe. The room supplies were odd: no shower gel, just small bars of soap, though shampoo and conditioner were provided. The AC only worked with a card linked to the lights, and that same type of card was used to get pool towels, so we had to choose between lights and AC or towels. Luckily, a kind receptionist gave us another card. We were given a bracelet that opened the room and was used at the restaurant for charges. We had bought a half-board package with breakfast and dinner, and at check-in were told not to tap the bracelet for those meals because they were already paid for. Still, for all seven days we had to argue with restaurant staff and explain that we shouldn’t be charged. Almost nobody there spoke even basic English, so it was practically impossible to communicate without the translator on our phones. The food was nearly the same every day, and dishes meant to be hot were always cold, which could be unsafe. We were fed up with it after two days. Based on our experience, this isn’t a five star hotel. Other five star hotels and resorts we’ve stayed in were much better; I’d put this one at three to four stars at most. It’s expensive for what it offers and seems more suited to Brazilian guests, since the only language spoken is Brazilian, with a few rare exceptions.

I had to wait through a long line at the front desk, where the staff seemed extremely inefficient. At checkout, they “accidentally” miscalculated my bill. There’s no Do Not Disturb option either, and for three days in a row a cleaner walked in while I was still asleep. I also ordered room service at night, but after an hour the staff called to confirm the order. An hour after that, it still hadn’t arrived. When I called, they said there was no order for my room. There was no kettle or basic water option, either. One of the worst hotel stays I’ve had.

The hotel gave us drink vouchers as a goodwill gesture, but when we tried to order cocktails, the bartender refused them and said they were only valid for cola, coconut water, or caipirinha. Nobody had explained that restriction beforehand. Being turned away in front of other guests at a supposed five star hotel was embarrassing, and we ended up ordering everything to our rooms just to get served. There were also problems with the transfers. We’d exchanged written messages with the hotel about airport transport by SUV and van. They sent the details and rates and said the driver would meet us at the arrivals gate with a sign bearing our name. But nobody was there when we landed at GIG airport, and after a long international flight our group had to arrange urgent private transport ourselves. The hotel later said there had been no “final confirmation,” even though the messages made it seem arranged. Our return transfer then cost 200 BRL more than the quoted amount. On top of that, our rooms weren’t ready when we arrived, despite the earlier communication. The property also didn’t feel like a true five star hotel. The pool area wasn’t clean enough, the bathrooms looked closer to four star in their upkeep and finish, and service and internal communication were inconsistent. The difference between the advertised level and what we experienced was significant, especially given the price. The stay fell far short of what we expected.