Porto Bay Rio Internacional Hotel, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Reviews and Hotel Information

We stayed in Rio de Janeiro four (4) nights at the beginning of our three-week trip to Brazil and three (3) nights at the end, visiting Ouro Preto and Congonhas, then Manaus and a Rio Negro jungle lodge in between.

The Rio Internacional is an outstanding hotel. Our room was large and well appointed, with two (2) double beds, a wide and deep balcony, and a spectacular view of Copacabana beach. The price was right, too: US$176 per night.

Some have complained about the hotel's location -- and about being hassled by beggars and prostitutes. We met with nothing objectionable, even when we returned to the hotel late at night. From our balcony, however, we did notice up to a dozen streetwalkers -- in the wee hours -- in the block between the Rio Internacional and the Copacabana Palace.

The small rooftop pool was closed ('for maintenance') during most of our stay.

The complimentary breakfast was lavish and good. Even the bacon, usually mangled in Brazil, was nicely prepared. At our one dinner in the hotel we ate at the unreasonably early hour -- for Brazilians -- of 8pm. We were the only diners until Brazilians began to arrive at 9:30.

Our only disappointment was the tour we booked, through the hotel, for dinner and the Plataforma show. We asked to eat in Plataforma's own, superb rodizio; instead we were taken to a mediocre churrascurria in Ipanema. We also asked to be seated in Plataforma's balcony; we were told it was closed, though we saw others sitting there. (I should have booked, as I did on a previous visit, directly with Plataforma.)

Porto Bay Rio Internacional Hotel, Rio de Janeiro

Porto Bay Rio Internacional Hotel

Rio de Janeiro Hotels