Pestana Rio Atlantica, Rio de Janeiro

The lobby looked great and our room was ready in the morning. Upon checkin we were "upgraded" for our 30 night stay on business. Internet access was spotty and slow. The room furniture was old but they try to make it better with the room art. Hotel is/was a RCI affiliate and won an award in 2002. I am guessing not a lot of updates have been made since then, because the furniture looks like it has about 7 years of wear. I wasn't on the beach side in my upgrade so I had a nice view of a crappy part of the Copa area. The bed was a little firm for my taste. The bathroom was a good size but the shower drains really slow. Think water around your ankles while showering (after they fixed it, twice). Drinks and food are overpriced for what you get and your rate may include breakfast. You might get a free drink at their bars upon check-in to ease your suffering. The breakfast was fair but be weary of the pre-made scrambled eggs unless you like them extra runny. English was fairly well spoken around the hotel so don't be worried if your Brazilian Portuguese isn't up to snuff. They use private taxis which are kind of a rip off. A 12 Real$ tip cost us Real$ 25. The gym is way outdated and most of the equipment does not function properly (machine doesn't go all the way up or the treadmill isn't calibrated properly). The positives - they have people on the beach to provide towels and chairs and will watch your stuff for you. I didn't test the watch your stuff part because I didn't want my IPOD and shades to get stolen. Room service is not bad and is within the norms of the hotels in the area. Laundry is delivered to your room and placed for you in your closet. They have a switch next to the bed that control the AC power, so if it gets too cold/hot, you don't have to get up to turn it off or on. A suggestion, ask for a second key so you don't come back to a stale-air room (leave it in the door but leave the lights off otherwise housekeeping will pull the key out). I would not likely choose to stay here again but if you want a sometimes overpriced room that is a decent size but in a great location, try this place. Many sites call this a 4 star hotel, but its about a 2. Think a big Ramada Inn that was refurbished about 5 years ago, that is what it feels like. Hotel upholstery needs a good steam to get the smell out.