Parque Hotel

The hotel is in old downtown Rio, near the Sambódromo. While the facade is very old, the rooms have been renovated and are well maintained. The mattress, bed linen, and towels were all new, and the interior was especially clean. Breakfast was adequate for the price. Excellent value for a low-cost stay in central Rio.

I recommend it for the value. It's a quiet, clean hotel with air conditioning and a strong shower with hot and cold water. I loved that, and the staff were discreet and attentive. Breakfast was simple but fine. The reception is open 24 hours, so you can come and go whenever you like. I got around by Uber and had no problems, since everything was close. I would ask them to change the bed linens because they had a strong smell. I sprayed some air freshener, and that worked. Nearby there's an Extra market and a place serving lunch at popular prices. There are some homeless people close by, but I had no trouble. I saw police patrolling when I arrived and felt safe, though you still have to be careful, as in any big city. If you're visiting to enjoy Rio's beauty and aren't looking for a luxury hotel, this is great value.

We were supposed to stay at Villa Rica, but on the day of our stay the hotel contacted me to say they couldn't accommodate us. They offered either a cancellation or a move to a partner hotel. We ended up at Parque Hotel, which is much cheaper, but received no partial refund. It seemed they still came out ahead while I paid Villa Rica's rate. When we arrived at Parque Hotel, they turned us away, saying Villa Rica hadn't told them anything. We contacted Villa Rica, and they managed to get us a room. It had no air conditioning, so we had to leave a window open onto the air shaft. Since it was on the first floor, the shaft was dirty. There was no way to contact reception from the room, and the bathroom drain was badly clogged. The staff weren't willing to help. We asked for bed linen during the day and were told it was only provided at night. When we asked again at night, they said it had run out and we should have asked during the day. At checkout, we waited and shouted for someone to open the door because the employee was distracted. The room was clean, and the simple breakfast was okay. The kitchen staff were the kindest and friendliest employees.

Inside, everything was clean and neatly arranged, though the building’s front made me a little wary at first since it’s downtown. The rooms were clean, breakfast was generous, and the service was really good. Carina at breakfast was such a sweetheart, and the women who cleaned were all lovely too. We paid a bit much through Booking, but I still felt it was worth it.