Brisamar Hotel & SPA São Luís

Being by the sea gives the hotel lovely sunsets, though getting to the old city center takes a car, taxi, or Uber. The service was very good, and breakfast was excellent. Our large room had a separate hall that kept noise from the rest of the hotel out, but it needed paint and repairs. There were lots of scratches and little bits of damage, and the room felt below the standard of the rest of the hotel. The toilet wouldn’t flush all the way, we saw one tiny cockroach in the bathroom, and although a note mentioned a safe, we couldn’t find one. The lobby was very cold too. They could save energy by keeping it warmer. We didn’t need anyone to escort us to the room, though that’s apparently a four-star feature.

The reception team does a great job. They’re the heart of the hotel, well done.

The staff are lovely, but the hotel itself wasn’t so good for me. There’s no air conditioning in the gym, and it’s hard to get the shower temperature right between hot and cold. Delivery drivers can’t bring orders upstairs, so you have to go down and collect them, which I really disliked. Services like food and ironing are expensive too.

Breakfast was a highlight, especially the freshly made tapioca pancakes and pamonha. The staff were professional and attentive. Some parts of the hotel need a serious refresh, though. Every piece of gym equipment was broken or acting up, while the sauna worked well and will make you sweat buckets. There’s a nice pool to cool off in afterward. The rooms are fine but don’t have much charm, and the new air conditioner cooled ours down really well. We had a TV, but some channels listed on the information card weren’t available. It’s quiet at night, but everyone I spoke with warned me not to walk around in the evening because of the risk of being mugged, so I used Uber. There were mosquitos everywhere, indoors and out. Bring repellent, and use the plug-in insecticide provided in the room.