Ipanema Park

The pool and bar area were simple, but well maintained and pleasant to use. The lobby was lovely, and the location was great. Our room had what we needed, with good air conditioning and comfortable beds. The food was decent with fair options, though nothing especially impressive. I’d recommend the hotel and had no major issues, but the balcony could have been more private and the door was awful to open.

I usually try to enjoy my holiday and let minor problems go, and I don’t tend to leave negative reviews, but this hotel was too much. The website photos didn’t match reality, the furniture was extremely old, and the place smelled bad. There was no free Wi-Fi, and I’ve never stayed somewhere without a mini-fridge before. When I needed a towel for the shower floor, the cleaner said she’d make an exception because they didn’t have enough for everyone. On the last day, they refused to store something in a fridge unless we rented it for 8 euros per day. The transparent glass balcony dividers let you see into other rooms. The wardrobes were broken, and there were no outlets in the room except one for the TV and one in the bathroom for the hairdryer, so we had to charge our phone in the bathroom. The staff weren’t kind and did absolutely nothing for guests.

The buffet was a concern, since some food seemed reused. The chocolate mousse toppings looked like the ones from the previous day’s ice cream. I didn’t see ants, unlike other reviews, but I wouldn’t recommend this place if you want quality. The service was poor. Check-in took 30 minutes, and everything seemed to cost extra: 28€ for 14 days of Wi-Fi and 3€ a day to lock the safe. The blonde receptionist didn’t help with anything and only asked whether I wanted Wi-Fi or a car rental. A man with glasses was lovely, as were some kitchen staff. We had to ask for help with the balcony door because its broken lock meant it wouldn’t lock at all. Cleaners also came into the room without knocking, including once when I was naked and changing. There’s no fridge, so I ended up drinking hot water. At night, cleaners kept moving objects, making it hard to sleep. The first time I went to the pool, there was a dead butterfly, though it was cleaner the next day. Overall, it wasn’t all bad, but there were too many problems.

A really nice, quiet place to stay, and I’d definitely recommend it. The pool area was lovely, and nearby local shops had really good prices.