All the staff including the reception staff, waiters and porters were just so helpful and obliging.

We were only able to secure a twin bed room on our first night (Easter break and it was very busy) but Jiminez on the front desk went out of his way to move us the next morning. We were moved right up to the 11th floor with great views south towards the beach, the bay and mountains.

The rooms are spacious and comfortable with a semi-sitting room in the entry area with a hallway leading off from this into the main living area, this was complete with bed and dining table for more comfort. There is a TV although only local channels, but check out the show "live witness" in the afternoons, it's a hoot even of you don't speak the lingo you pick up on the melodrama. The large bathroom led off this main area coming complete with bidet and a shower with good pressure and hot water.

The hotel does boast a rooftop pool and in their words "it is small but it still has water in it for splashing". Better than most as the majority of the hotels in Rio don't offer a pool. Around the pool there is also a great deck with lounges, chairs and tables to sun by and you can call up for bar service if required. It is also a good place to meet with other guests.

Breakfast is included and it is served each morning until late on the ground floor. It is a buffet and included eggs, sausages, various sweet and savoury breads, yoghurts(first time I had ever seen coconut flavoured) and a large selection of some of the fantastic local tropical fruits.

There is a TV room on the ground floor with cable so you can catch up on the world's news if you wish or if it is raining watch a movie.

The porters are always happy to help and are a wealth of information on the local buses and can get you anywhere in the city and more importantly home again.

It was the level of comfort and service along with the extras that so many hotels charge for that made it great. These included complimentary use of beach towels and in-room safes.

Its a great place.

The simple rooms have either two twins or a double bed, fridge, lock box in the closet, and private bath. There's piped in music, and a small TV without cable and thus no English language channels. There's a small (and I mean very small) pool on the roof, but more interesting are the adjacent decks for sunbathing, hanging out, meeting all sorts of people, and the views.

The hotel itself of located in a leafy green and quiet part of what's otherwise a very noisy area. Grocery stores, drug stores, the beaches, and restaurants are all within walking distance. The front desk staff speak English and Spanish, and the doormen/bell hops are very helpful. For US$60 per night I received a single room (two twins pushed together) on the 8th floor facing south towards Ipanema Beach.

The hotel contracts with Italbus, a local tour agency that offers various outings to the various sites. Half-day tours of Corcovado or Sugar Loaf Mountain are US$22. A full day tour of both, plus Maracana Stadium, Sambadromo, and lunch runs US$40.