While you are in Brazil, you must watch a telenova(soap opera). The main channels broadcast at least three of these each night, and the whole country is addicted. They come in all shapes and sizes, and it is a good way practice your Portuguese.
My favourite was Destino, set in some fashionable suburb of Sao Paolo. This truly was trash telly. There was one scene I will never forget, as it made me laugh so much. An over-made-up diva is being harassed by an evil, blackmailing neighbour (you can tell she is evil by the way she flicks her hair). So wicked is the blackmailer that you can tell the diva is thinking of killing her. Her eyes flick obviously to a pair of scissors nearby. Then the tension is broken by the doorbell ringing, and the diva laughs it off. I, on the other hand, erupted into gales of hysterical laughter. Oh well [lets out sigh]..back to the hotel....
Its location is probably its main selling point. It boasts of being 50 meters from the actual beach, and the palm-lined street where it is situated, Rua Maria Quiteria, is exceptionally wealthy and houses some very expensive restaurants. The whole area is well-lit, and security men watching in the nearby apartment blocks endorse the safe feeling of Ipanema.
Reception is impressive -- a cacophony of marble, glass, and chrome. The desk staff is very helpful and happy to use their English. Luggage storage is available, and tours of the city can be booked for a reasonable price. A lounge area with easy chairs is in reception, as is a small café. Most prominent, and looking out onto the road, is a tourist shop selling indigenous carvings and bric-a-brac. Breakfast is served in a large restaurant area and consists of rolls, sausage, eggs, fruit, melon, and guava juice. Concierge service is available, and parking facilities are very close to the hotel.
There are 56 rooms, starting from single standard occupancy (60 reals) to first-class deluxe (400 reals), with balconies overlooking Rua Maria Quiteria. The rooms were very clean and air-conditioned, with refrigerator, cable TV, and a safe deposit box (I suggest you take advantage of this). The bathrooms were clean and airy, with lots of mirrors and a terrific power shower. Complimentary soap was available, and those cans of guarani and brahma beer in the refrigerator are not free. Their consumption will be added to your final bill.
All in all, it’s a good, comfortable, and safe place to come back to after a day in Rio. With the amenities of Ipanema at one end of the road and the beach at the other, you will be enjoying the glam life of the Zona Sul. You can be involved in your very own telenova.