Riale Imperial Flamengo

We spent five days here, and the staff made things easy. They accommodated a room change and kept our luggage for a few days before check-in at no extra charge. The woman at the restaurant was especially patient, friendly, and helpful. Staff spoke English well enough to chat with tourists like me and my wife. The location was great too. I'd highly recommend it to tourists staying in Rio.

The pool was great, and we enjoyed the restaurant, especially the lovely staff member who spoke a little English. Our room was good, though the older air conditioner was loud at night. It's a good hotel in central Rio de Janeiro. We used the metro because of the heat and humidity, which was 31.

The staff were nice and quick to help when I raised problems, and they moved me to another room. But I still can't recommend staying here because of the health concerns. My first room smelled strongly of raw sewage. They cleaned it when I asked, but the smell remained worrying, and I didn't feel sure the room was sanitary. Then I found a bed bug on the bed. That's a serious and upsetting thing to discover in a hotel. Changing rooms and responding promptly didn't make those concerns go away. I've never had a worse cleanliness experience at a hotel.

The location is good, with public transport and guided tours readily available. The hotel itself is old, and breakfast has plenty of options, though none were especially tasty. The bed was rock hard: sleeping on my side hurt my hips, and my back hurt after the first night. For the price, you get very little. It's passable for a short trip if you only use the room to sleep and shower. If you're staying longer and expect to spend more than an hour a day in the room, I'd pick somewhere else.