Sheraton Rio

[B727]

Our third stay this year. Still amazing service and a quintessentially Carioca location. More details to follow on their renovation and our weej here.

[B727]

In our previous stays, we got to stay in the oceanfront as well as the duplex rooms. This time, upon check in, they offered us a newly renovated junior site on an SPG floor facing the Sao Conrado (as opposed to Leblon). Never having had the opportunity to face this side of the property before, we welcomed the gorgeous views overlooking both the beach fronting the Sheraton as well as the morro/hill and the equally famous favela on which it stands.

We love the Sheraton Rio precisely because of its symbiotic relationship with the favela behind it. The public beach fronting the hotel is shared by both hotel guests and locals, yet the hotel guests feel quite secure. Perhaps, it is because the hotel employs many residents of the favela, especially the womenfolk, in various positions, notably housekeeping.

Staying here makes us feel and appreciate the essence of Rio--the glamour on the one hand and the poverty on the other. Notwithstanding, the smiles we encounter here are probably some of the most genuine in comparison with some of our other habitual haunts along Copacabana and Ipanema.

Which brings to mind, the hotel offers a complimentary scheduled shuttle service to Ipanema, Copacabana and the Rio Sul shopping center.

[Brulfuflaft]

Sheraton Rio

I stayed at the Sheraton this year. The extra expense was well worth it. <3 feather pillows. And yes...those beds....ahhhh.

[B727]

<3 feather pillows. And yes...those beds....ahhhh.

Yes, the pillows are quite nice. I have no complaints about them, unlike the JWM in Copacabana whose pillows I abhor!

Beds are nice and comfortable too, always a good night's sleep on them. Leave it to Starwood to always have a great bed in their hotel rooms, even if the building might be showing the cracks of age.

I also love their fitness and spa areas. Huge and expansive--much, much better than either the JWM or the Fasano (I typically stay at all 3 over the course of a single visit to Rio).

The Club Lounge is also quite nice. Made full use of it, not on this most recent trip, but back in February during Carnaval. The most gracious and attentive staff--true Brasilian hospitality.

[B727]

Very sad to report that the longtime chef concierge of 12 years, the fantastic Ms. F, has left the Sheraton Rio.

There are still some amazing oldtimers at the property, but still a high turnover amongst the front desk clerks. On my second stay in two months, there was nobody behind the SPG Platinum & Gold sign (later found out that the lady who checked me in two months prior had also left the hotel).

The property seems to be solely focused on groups, both tour groups and the various air crews that stay there, to fill up its 600 rooms.

[SQflyergirl]

a bit OT..... any thoughts on choosing between Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana?

Haven't been cariocaing for almost 8 years now, and i stayed pretty close SDU the last time, but always been a great fan of Avenida Atlantica. I'm going in February (nice timing ), and I think I'm set on something between the sofitel and JW Marriott, but open to other suggestions....

[AsiaCommuter]

a bit OT..... any thoughts on choosing between Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana?

Haven't been cariocaing for almost 8 years now, and i stayed pretty close SDU the last time, but always been a great fan of Avenida Atlantica. I'm going in February (nice timing ), and I think I'm set on something between the sofitel and JW Marriott, but open to other suggestions....

You should step outside the big name hotels and try something in the Santa Teresa area. Much more character and quieter, and easy to get into town via the old tram, bus or taxi.

Every year we stay in "Altos de Santa Teresa", the view of the Sugar Loaf is amazing, taking a hot jacuzzi with a cocktail watching the sun go down is not to be missed. Maybe not a 5 star chain hotel but really nice people and the overall experience is much better in our opinion.

http://www.altosdesantateresa.com/home/pt/Home.html

[SQflyergirl]

You should step outside the big name hotels and try something in the Santa Teresa area. Much more character and quieter, and easy to get into town via the old tram, bus or taxi.

Every year we stay in "Altos de Santa Teresa", the view of the Sugar Loaf is amazing, taking a hot jacuzzi with a cocktail watching the sun go down is not to be missed. Maybe not a 5 star chain hotel but really nice people and the overall experience is much better in our opinion.

http://www.altosdesantateresa.com/home/pt/Home.html

Obrigada. Will check it out

[B727]

a bit OT..... any thoughts on choosing between Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana?

Haven't been cariocaing for almost 8 years now, and i stayed pretty close SDU the last time, but always been a great fan of Avenida Atlantica. I'm going in February (nice timing ), and I think I'm set on something between the sofitel and JW Marriott, but open to other suggestions....

The word on the street this time in Copacabana is that the Sofitel is in the midst of transition. That said, when it comes to this property, it's all about location at the juncture between Copacabana and Ipanema and a residential area with a lot of apartments whose denizens can often be seen participating in group exercise on the beach at 8 am on Saturday mornings.

Being MR Platinum elites, we do make a point to stay at the JWM where our experiences, while being mixed in the past five years, have taken a turn for the better in recent moons. Enjoying facial recognition by the staff helps, I guess, and the current crop of front desk/reception agents are the best compared to the ones we encountered at the Sheraton Rio and the Fasano Rio. Add to that, the les Clefs d'Or concierges, the amazing guest service ladies of the Executive Lounge, the fantastic bell crew, the waiters in the Terraneo restaurant (with the best breakfast buffet, including fresh coconut water and acai, along with seasonal Brasilian fruits like mangoes and cashew pears), makes this property a winning option for us.

Location wise, the JWM is on Avenida Atlantica between Santa Clara and Figueireda de Magalhaes and walking distance of the Siquiera Campos metro station.

We do enjoy being in Ipanema as well, typically at the Fasano Rio, but with only 80 rooms, this hotel has a high chance of being sold out like this past Saturday, for example, on the eve of the Rio Half Marathon. The metro extends as far as Ipanema now with a station on Prac,a Gen. Osorio, but from what we heard, it was a madhouse this past carnival! Our last carnival spent in Ipanema was two years when we enjoyed the whole spectrum of blocos on Ave. Vieira Souto from Banda de Ipanema to Furacao 2000!

We seldom stay in Leblon, but it is admittedly our favorite neighborhood compared to Ipanema and Copacabana whichcan get a little crazy. When it gets too hot on the streets, we love to sneak into Shopping Leblon which houses the big Livraria Travessa book + music store & cafe. After the sad demise of Modern Sound (previously on Barata Ribeiro in Copacabana, practically behind the JWM), this is now our favorite hook up for Brasilian music CDs (either that or the Fnac store on Paulista in SP).

The truth is, the Cidade Maravilhosa suffers from a dearth of hotel rooms. Even cariocas are cognizant of the fact that Rio, being an upcoming Olympic host city, only boasts an inventory of some 14,000 hotel rooms as compared to London's 40,000!

[AsiaCommuter]

Obrigada. Will check it out

In case you are still looking at Rio options... as mentioned we really like "Altos de Santa Teresa". This is the view from the room we always stay - part of the room includes a very large private terrace. This was where I took this photo around 8am in the morning - the view of the Pão de Açúcar is amazing at sunrise and sunset.



Not uncommon for a few monkeys to pop in when you are taking a Caipirinha in the jacuzzi

[B727]

You should step outside the big name hotels and try something in the Santa Teresa area. Much more character and quieter, and easy to get into town via the old tram, bus or taxi

The bonde or tram is not currently in operation after a fatal incident involving a foreign tourist back in December.

We have been interested in the Santa Teresa district for a while, but for a spate of robberies in 2009 when we were in Rio for carnival. We just finished a stay at the Hotel Santa Teresa which I'll report on in a separate thread.

We are now back at the Sheraton Rio and happy to see that Ms. L (a native carioca and former resident of the Pacific Northwest) is now working at the concierge desk. We remember her from our last stay in August when she was mainly at the business center.

Unfortunately, Mr. G whom we remember fondly from the bell desk has left the property.

[B727]

I am happy to report that six months after the departure of Ms F, I am satisfied with the working of the new concierge team at the Sheraton Rio per my three stay stays of not less than three days each over the last 50 days.

Besides the forementioned Ms L, there is also Mr R who is a les clefs d'or member, Mr P who is multilingual in Portuguese, French, Spanish, and English, as well as Ms G who helps out during the mid-shift and is trilingual in Portuguese, Japanese, and English.

It was sad to note however that Mr L.C., who had been at the Sheraton Rio for over two decades is no longer with the property.

Btw,

We just finished a stay at the Hotel Santa Teresa which I'll report on in a separate thread.

http://www.sqtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12257

[AsiaCommuter]

The bonde or tram is not currently in operation after a fatal incident involving a foreign tourist back in December.

We have been interested in the Santa Teresa district for a while, but for a spate of robberies in 2009 when we were in Rio for carnival. We just finished a stay at the Hotel Santa Teresa which I'll report on in a separate thread.

Yeah, was bad news about the tram incident, on a positive note they are renovating and re-opening next year as I understood. Mind you the omni bus can be a near death experience as well... how fast down a hill around blind corners

We live in Santa Teresa and there is a noticeable difference with the lack of tourists this year.... many say the bonde was the soul of Santa Teresa. It will return along with the tourists which is good for our neighbourhood, personally one of our business ventures has felt the drop in tourism.

Glad you enjoyed your time in Rio and Santa Teresa... now I am missing home, the summer and my wife! Japan in the freezing winter is not the same

[SQflyergirl]

I missed out on the tram too. Would have loved to ride it Did however, get to eat this awesome fish at Sobrenatural though.

[AsiaCommuter]

I missed out on the tram too. Would have loved to ride it Did however, get to eat this awesome fish at Sobrenatural though.

You guys are killing me, I am missing home... yeah Sobrenatural has some nice fish dishes. Not always so healthy but nice!

Did you visit Espirito Santa - they make great caipirinhas both maracujá and lima?