Novotel Salvador Rio Vermelho 4 estrelas

The best asset of the hotel, bearing in mind it sits on top of a hill, is its majestic ocean view towards southern Salvador! The 2nd item to congratulate is breakfast, clearly the best in the whole city in terms of quality, presentation and daily variety. I'm afraid that's about it in terms of whole-hearteldy compliments. Though having drawn up thoroughly the positive and negative aspects of the hotel and its clumsy management, between my first time there after the conversion from Golden Tulip into Novotel and within the mandate of two general managers nothing has really improved to the big eye, and that's really sad(dening). Computer systems overlap and cause both confusion and delay at check-in; some receptionists are far from friendly and welcoming; date protection is not respected; even the best rooms are dark and faulty in a number of aspects; the 'naked' style chosen is not efficient at all and makes us miss 'over the top' American style; the transfer car is disorganised; staff doesn't always wear their name badges; pool water is green and 'things' grow freely on the tiles; staircases to fire escapes lack proper signage; TV is complicated to operate (streaming versus cable/satellite); parking when events take place is a real mess; minibar has a glaring light all night long; noise isolation is non-existing, among other relevant issues. Some staff members are, however, extremely helpful and efficient, like both Andreas from the restaurant (breakfast and dinner), Coutinho, Helder, Victor, Franklin and João. But the manager Mil was there every day and never dared to greet or approach, yet insisting on his vague and uncommitted replies to the genuine reports here. I must thank Helder and staff for the special treatment regarding my birthday, also for the upfront one-hour conversation about a number of issues related to the hotel! How to feel invited back somewhere one faces the very same problems, some of which possible to modify easily and quickly? It seems to be easier to roll a heavy ball to the top of Morro do Conselho, where the hotel is located, than to see changes in this branch, as dozens of review here only repeat and reinforce. Again, it is rather sad(dening)...

Hotel experience was quite poor. Check in was substandard, staff was cold and unfriendly and not helpful at all. A totally depressing experience. Room was okd and worn. Breakfast was the worst we experienced in our 6 weeks of travel in Brazil. Check out was poor … no thank you from desk … nothing. I am a hotel owner and I would rate this place with low marks on just about everything. And for the price charged it borders on a scam. Really disapointing experience where hotels, service and breakfasts are usually quite lovely. Novotel realky missed the mark in their Salvador property.

Super noisy neighborhood, loud music until very late (2 am). The windows are not noise-proof. Spent 3 nights and could not sleep in any of them because of the noise. Room service is poor. I ordered a certain dish, they sent it wrong. When the right one came, it was not tasteful. A leisure trip became a very stressful trip. The room view was the only worthy thing.

Guest rooms and public areas received an uplifting since hotel joined Accor. However, there is something wrong with the bathroom, it smells sewerage all the times, it gets inside of the bedrooms, disgusting! Breakfast was great, quality of the food and service.

Without a doubt, one of the worst hotel stays I've had in a very, very long time. At best, this is a three star hotel - if you consider the rooms and amenities. Service standards are at the lower end of two star (this is being generous). Check-in took at least 20 minutes, and despite having booked months in advance, I was allocated one of the worst rooms in the hotel. I was eventually allocated another room (after multiple requests at the check-in desk). The second room was very slightly better - although the standard is much more Ibis than Novotel. The shower leaked, as did the aircon, which barely worked at all. The room does have a minibar - the prices of which are equivalent to daylight robbery. Despite this, every morning I was disturbed by someone knocking at my door to ask if I had consumed anything. At those prices, I certainly wouldn't be. The bed is among the worst I have slept in at a hotel - there was no mattress protector, or topper - which, for a hotel claiming to be 4 star, simply isn't acceptable. The mattress was like sleeping on a rock. The pillows were also terrible. Rooms are showing visible signs of wear and clearly maintenance is poor. The rooftop pool is nice. It'd be even nicer if they bothered to clean it. Sadly, it was not uncommon to find debris in the pool, and I question how often it is maintained. There is a bar available here, although the Caipirinha is possibly the most revolting I have ever had in Brazil - quite how they've managed this, I do not know. Breakfast is barely acceptable and very repetitive. I will never forget the 'chicken' dish served one morning. It was so dry, I almost thought I was eating chewing gum. During my 21 nights at the hotel, I was unwell twice after eating the breakfast, so I question the hygiene standards. Do not come here if you would like a restful nights sleep. It can't be guaranteed. One Saturday I was awoken in the morning by incredibly loud banging noises. The hotel was apparently hosting a rooftop concert. No notice of this had been given to guests, and the full blast of music could be heard until 8pm. I find it astounding that this is considered acceptable. I have Accor Platinum status, which means absolutely nothing at this hotel. At check-in I was informed that while they did not have availability for my first two nights, I would receive an upgrade after this. Upon going to the check-in desk two days later, I was told I'd been given false information. I had to ask for the welcome drink voucher, even though this should be automatic. The voucher itself can only be used for a very limited number of drinks - this is the first Novotel where I have been refused a glass of wine. Even a mojito was too much. Usually, as a Platinum member I receive a welcome amenity - usually this will be some sort of food item, a local gift, a bottle of wine (or equivalent). Unsurprisingly, nothing was offered at Novotel. I eventually asked them if they could send the welcome amenity to my room - this request was met with much confusion. In the end, I received some chocolate covered strawberries - which was nice - but it isn't really a welcome gift if you have to ask for it. Without a doubt, it is sadly the staff who let this hotel down to the greatest degree, and I genuinely regret having to post this. With the exception of one man on reception (who appeared to work overnight and was incredibly kind), they are among some of the most disinterested and difficult people I have had to deal with. Basic requests were continually challenging, they'd give different answers to the same question, and in some cases would just make up information. I was for example told after the rooftop concert incident that I would receive a refund for that night. I did not. The majority of the breakfast staff were beyond miserable, and unfortunately, did not provide a bright start to the morning. They were far more interested in trying to clear away everything before the breakfast service was supposed to finish. They'd also remove the labels to say what the food was. The one exception is the housekeeping staff - who were, by far, the most pleasant people at this hotel - they deserve to be recognised for offering a far, far better level of service than any of the other teams. They were the only people who smiled, and upon checking out, one of them offered me a safe journey, and said they hoped I'd enjoyed my stay - which is more than can be said for Bruno at the reception desk. The hotel has visible security personnel in the reception area who appear to do very little - usually, they'd greet me with a scowl, this is if they weren't distracted using WhatsApp on their mobile phones. Basic 4* amenities aren't provided. As an example, I called to ask whether ice could be sent to my room. I was told that I would have to pay 9 BRL for this. It's the first time I've ever stayed at an Accor hotel (including Ibis) and been told I'd have to pay for this. Overall, the attitude was very much 'you should be grateful for us letting you stay here', rather than a recognition that guests are paying a lot of money for such a privilege. I do not believe in leaving negative Tripadvisor reviews unless I have complained directly to the hotel during my stay, and given them the opportunity to rectify any issues. I emailed Accor Customer Services twice during my stay, and was told that my concerns had been passed to the General Manager - not once during the stay did anyone from management contact me, and not once were any of my concerns acknowledged or rectified. I would not return, nor would I recommend this hotel. If you are considering Accor properties in Salvador, I would instead recommend the Mercure Salvador Boulevard - although it is not in Rio Vermelho, the level of service, and general attitude is far, far better (it is also usually considerably cheaper).