More about Golden Tulip Ipanema Plaza
Ipanema Plaza, Rio de Janeiro
by TripAdvisor Member Wirggley's dad
My wife and I booked a package deal and took this hotel based upon reviews of late summer, 2005 that appeared on this website. We were very pleased with the results. We had a standard room on the 6th floor which did not have a view of the beach. We arrived about 11:00PM local time and ordered room service which was brought to our room about 30 minutes later. The food was very well prepared and tasty (which was a pleasant surprise) and not overly expensive. The room was very adequate, clean and the oversized king bed was great. Our only complaints about the room itself were that the shower cutain in the bathroom was inadequate and the hotel does not provide a face-cloth. Breakfast was included in the package and with the exception of lousy scrambled eggs was just great. The staff was very accomodating on all issues. This place is a real bargain and if traveling to Rio, book it.
Ipanema Plaza ****
by sasch about Ipanema Plaza
a perfect stay in the heart of Ipanema. there is a pool on the roof which a great view! breakfast and lunch/dinner are really good.
Cervejaria & Resto
by MM212 about Devassa
A lively bar/restaurant in Ipanema, Cervejaria Devassa makes and serves its own beer. It's location, just a block from the beach (opposite Ipanema Plaza Hotel) makes it a popular spot for lunch and after the beach. One could enjoy the air conditioned interior or sit on the terrace and stare at the interesting beach traffic! I'm no beer drinker, but was told its excellent. I stopped here for lunch twice during my visit to Rio in Dec 2008 and had a delicious thin crust pizza served on a plank of wood. Devassa apparently started as a neighbourhood bar in Leblon and over the years opened at other locations in Rio.
Great Hotel
by TripAdvisor Member JFMStuttgart_Germany
I strongly recommend this hotel: the location is great, the staff is very friendly, rooms are very comfortable...it was a great experiencie for my wife and me to stay at the Ipanema Plaza.
Execllent value for Rio
by TripAdvisor Member KAlcorn
This is one of the best hotels I've stayed in after years of business and holiday travel; it was comfortable without being bland in that horrible corporate way, and the staff were all friendly and spoke enough English to get by. Complaints by other visitors that staff were rude likely reflect the fact that guests can be rude too: I saw several examples of arrogant behaviour by one particular nationality being treated with disdain by Brazilian staff - as it should have been.
Food is good but evening meals are pricey in comparison with the many good restaurants in the vicinity. The immediate neighbourhood feels safe in comparison with the rest of Rio, and Ipanema beach is far nicer than Copacabana. The hotel is 3 mins from the beach, the Ipanema Plaza has its own spot on the beach which rents sun loungers for 5 reals a day, while beach towels are free. The hotel also has a pool on the roof, which is nice, and a rather sad fitness room with three items of equipment. If you need a gym there are two large ones within 5 mins walk. Or run on the beach!
I considered staying in cheaper hotels nearby but chose this one because it had fewer negative reviews, and that turned out to be the right choice - some of the nearby cheaper hotels looked pretty rough.
Bedrooms were on the large side and beds were huge - one colleague had a bed that was four pillows wide.
My only complaint concerns internet access: the wireless access was tenuous and tended to go down after a few minutes, whilst the plug and play connection would never work on my lap top. Not all rooms have high speed access so check this when booking, and check again when you check in at the hotel. I got a free upgrade when mine stopped working mysteriously after 1 day.
Finally. if you want to minimise the omnipresent Rio traffic noise, ask for a room higher up the hotel (but not the 17th floor, immediately below the pool).
Perfect Location in Rio
by A TripAdvisor Member
After reading all of the reviews, we were hesitant about the hotel. While not up to the W hotel's standards, we called this hotel "W" Brazil It was tastefully decorated (quite modern and hip for the price) and located in an extremely convenient area, only a block from the Hippie Fair and the beach.
The pool area is very beautiful and although bar service is slow, the pool bar was a great area for after sun cocktails. The breakfasts were big and offered on the roof or in the cute restaurant with a porch.
The restaurants in the area were fabulous and we had no problems with safety in Rio, which we attribute to the location in Ipanema.
We also had no problems with noise or service.
We HIGHLY recommend this hotel and Rio overall!
Try the great (pricey for Rio but not for the US) Italian restaurant Mio and a great salad place a few blocks away, Gula Gula. We also loved Zaza, two blocks away as well.
Perfect location, wonderful staff
by TripAdvisor Member Flipboy777
We stayed in this hotel for a week. The hotel staff is extremely helpful, friendly and accomodating. I'm not sure why and how other reviewers complained of subpar treatment. We've observed the staff and gauged their interaction with a range of guests, from the super-friendly and relaxed (as I recommend you should be), to the high-strung tourist who likes to throw his weight around. The staff has always been professional, and will go out of their way to help if you show just a tad of courtesy. One thing I wasn't crazy about was the bed, but if you don't mind extra firmness then it shouldn't bother you. The room we stayed in had a partial beach view, and i concur with the other travelers that you request a higher floor if possible. The free breakfast buffet is awesome, and if you want to save on snack money, bring some ziploc bags and pack some breads for later in the day. There are a lot of restaurants nearby so you won't go hungry. Across the street is Bar do Beto (Italian pizzeria) which serves two roasted lobsters for about 15 U.S. dollars. Another good one is Colher de Pau, serving light lunches and good desserts (try the orange cake, warmed, yummy!). The hotel also provides favorable money exchange, and the rates are better than what you would get outside.
Unprofessional
by TripAdvisor Member caraqueno
Pick this hotel only if you would like to gamble if they will actually honor your reservation. They lost mine and then wanted to overcharge me 30 % for the room, attention was very rude, front desk staff has no respect for the clients.
If you want a reliable place and not to arrive to Rio and have to look for accommodation, then do your reservations somewhere else.
Recommended
by TripAdvisor Member timandjoy
First time trip to Rio, stayed here on recommendation.
SUPERB location, friendly staff, clean.
Smallest bath in the world, but other than that, highly recommended.
Photos
View of Lagoa area (lake) from Ipanema Plaza Hotel
A favela in Zona Norte
São Conrado
First view from climbing the stairs
Forum Posts
Help! - Marina All Suites, Ipanema Plaza or Everest Rio
by eltonw95
Hello -
I was wondering if you could help me in deciding on a hotel in Rio.
I will be coming to Rio this Wednesday (27th) and will be staying for 3 days. I will be traveling alone, I'm 29, straight, live in New York City, and tend to go to trendy bars and restaurants at night. (I only mention these things as a point of reference for you).
I'm not as concerned about the money, and have narrowed my choice down to 3 hotels:
1. Marina All Suites or Marina Palace
2. Ipanema Plaza
3. Everest Rio
I hear conflicting information about Leblon - some say it's great, some say it's too quiet, so I'm not sure. I know a lot of celebrities like it there, but I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.
What do you recommend? Any information would be extremely helpful! Thanks.
RE: Help! - Marina All Suites, Ipanema Plaza or Everest Rio
by eltonw95
I forgot to mention that I'm leaning towards the Marina Suites as it seems that a lot of the hot spots have moved from Ipanema to Leblon. At least that what it seems like, but I'm not sure.
Where 2 stay if you are gay
by Chicago2Brazil
My partner and I are traveling with another gay couple to Brazil in Jan 2006. We want to know if there are any upscale, gay friendly hotel recommendations in a safe area on the beach that are within walking distance to nightlife (Gay), good restaurants etc. Would also appreciate any sight seeing recommendations or other general tips when traveling to Brazil for the first time.
RE: Where 2 stay if you are gay
by Porteno
http://www.riogayguide.com/ Not sure if you have found this site or not but most likely a good place to begin. I assume you have read and heard of that Rio is not exactly the safest destination. In fact the crime rate there, especially against tourists is rather high. You might be much better and safer taking taxis to the clubs. Hope the web site is of help and if you change your mind on Rio I would highly recommend Buenos Aires ::)))
SAM
RE: RE: Where 2 stay if you are gay
by robine
One of the gay capitals of the world is the area (including beach) around Rua Farme de Amoedo, in Ipanema. A hotel on this street is the newish, 4* Ipanema Plaza, where a (straight) friend stayed comfortably in January.
Incidentally, Rio has become much safer in recent years.
Mar Ipanema Hotel: Yay or Nay?
by Cynigal
I am planning a trip at the end of August. Has anyone stayed or know about the Mar Ipanema Hotel? Is it clean like the pretty pictures on their multimedia site? Thank you for the help!!
=)
Cheryl
Re: Re: Mar Ipanema Hotel: Yay or Nay?
by cachaseiro
i haven't stayed there but it's in a perfect location.
something that matters a lot in a town like rio.
Re: Mar Ipanema Hotel: Yay or Nay?
by lwhitmandc
I would highly recommend the Ipanema Plaze.. see ipanemaplaza.com. i stayed there last year, a block from the beach, very nice even by u.s. standards.. To get the best price, go through Expedia.com.. or ipanema.com -- which has a booking service. if you've never been to Rio, a lot of the hotels are not quite up to u.s. standards.. Also, I strongly advise you to stay in Ipanema.. I took my 19 daughter and her college roommate there for Carnival, and we felt very comfortable in Ipanema.
Good luck!
Re: Mar Ipanema Hotel: Yay or Nay?
by Cynigal
Thank you everyone for your input! I went with the Ipanema Plaza from reading the recommendations and also because it has a pool. I want this to be a relaxing trip.
I'm getting so spoiled in my old age. ;-P
Thanks again!
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