Petit Rio Hotel

The breakfast was fabulous, and getting an Uber to wherever you want to go is easy, so the location worked out fine. For a short stay, the hotel is absolutely okay. I wouldn’t recommend it for a longer visit. We stayed six days. The rooms are small but tidy, though it took four days for housekeeping to realize we wanted ours cleaned. The sign wasn’t really the door card, but the trash we left outside to show we needed fresh towels and a new garbage bag. The gym is outside the hotel, about a five-minute walk away, and you need a pass to get in. At the service desk, English was limited, and staff sometimes seemed confused or annoyed when we approached. There were exceptions: a very kind, helpful man who mostly worked nights, and a welcoming, supportive woman at the restaurant.

Good value, and the rooms are pretty clean with what you need for a short visit. They’re on the small side, so keep that in mind if you’re bigger or, like my husband, need more space to spread out. Our sink seemed clogged, which was more of a nuisance than a big deal. The Wi-Fi on the seventh floor was also unreliable. I had a work call and lost connection twice within two hours.

There are busy streets with restaurants and bars just a few minutes from the hotel, with lots going on. Breakfast was included and had a huge selection: fruit, scrambled eggs, sausages, potatoes, different buns, cold cuts, cheese, flan, and very good coffee. The rooms are comfortable, though small, and the bathroom was nice, with a walk-in shower. I took off points because the AC was having problems in two rooms.

The common areas are pleasant, and the breakfast room is comfortable, though the food selection was limited. The reception and breakfast staff weren’t very friendly. It’s easy to get to, near Catete palace and park, and about a 15-minute drive from SDU airport. I was in room 704, with two very small single beds. Its window faced an equally small inner shaft or courtyard, so no direct sunlight came in. The air felt stuffy and mixed with scented cleaning products. The bathroom was nice and functional but had no window. The safe worked well, but the TV didn’t work very well. I’ll look for somewhere better next time.