Grand Mercure Rio de Janeiro Copacabana 5 estrelas

Excellent service! Clean rooms, delicious food from the restaurant, all the people working inside from the entrance door to front desk and everywhere within the hotel were very kind to help, polite, and very respectful. Thank you for the pleasant experience on this hotel.

MANAGER MAIRA IS 100% RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TERRIBLE REVIEWS & SERVICE (as would be any manager! They set the tone & are responsible for the departments that have all of the problems!). CONS: WiFi is slow, constantly disconnecting/unreliable. Old, dirty, hotel, rooms with low ceilings & horrible views into old dirty buildings. Housekeeping never came, even after requesting 3 different times throughout the day. Cheap thin towels and no Kleenex. Air-conditioned barely cooled the room. Furniture was damaged & stained. Requested items twice by phone & email PRIOR to arrival & then again in person twice & a 3rd time by phone, AFTER arrival. Restaurant has no windows & is very loud. All Accor's website and app are VERY deceiving (pictures & even staff told us this hotel is only two years old, which is an absolute lie!). No rooftop, swimming pool (that I saw), nor views of anything. PROS: Great quality breakfast & dinner buffet for a "reasonable" price. Super close to the beach, large TV & walk-in shower.

This Grand Mercure had everything I needed for a comfortable stay in Copacabana, where my goal was to explore the city and beach all day. The room was comfortable and quiet, with a fan unit that allowed temperature selection, so I slept well every night. The window faced a wall, but that's to be expected, with a hotel in the middle of the block in a narrow street facing other buildings. The complimentary breakfast buffet and paid evening buffets were surprisingly exceptional. The service was friendly and fantastic. Shout out to Sebastiao! The hotel offers complimentary beach towels, chairs, and an umbrella for a relaxing beach day - don't lose the pass as my partner did. R$100 beach pass replacement fee. No pool when I was there, but in a great location in Copacabana, right at the entrance of Impanema.

I stayed here 8-15 March. The hotel is a solid 4-star and offered good value-for-money. Booking: I booked via Booking.com, valuing the free cancellation feature. The hotel pre-authorised my credit-card before arrival. Getting there, from the international airport (GIG): taxi, which took about 30 minutes in late evening. Check-in: efficient enough though some hotels have less paperwork. Room: fine but I'm not a fan of wooden floors, which caused me some sleep-disturbance. The hotel should consider laying-down some carpets. Conversely, the side-street is very quiet. Plumbing: very good. It's nice to see the shower get quickly up to temperature and pressure. House-keeping: good. Laundry: a service is offered and it's reasonably-priced. Mini-bar: no price-list and it's not free. Food: the breakfast buffet was very good although the hot dishes were not quite to the liking of this Englishman. But nice to see a good quiche there! I didn't try the restaurant at other times, preferring to eat along the beach-front. Towels: available at Reception. Walk onto the beach, carrying a hotel towel, and you'll be intercepted by an attendant from the stand flying the hotel flag and be equipped with a chair, table and umbrella. They also sell reasonably-priced drinks. Currency: in the UK, I had major problems getting hold of Brazilian currency before departure. On arrival, none of the airport ATMs would take my UK debit card. So, if you're in this situation, have some US dollars on you. And the next day? None of the Brazilian banks would dispense cash either. The lifesaver? There's a Santander branch about 200 yards NW of the hotel, which has ATMs that allow international withdrawals. Excursions: in this good position, many of the major sights are walkable. Taxis are reasonably cheap and buses much more so. Getting back to the airport: taxi, which across the rush-hour took 75 mins. I pre-booked one with Booking.com but there's no shortage of drivers near the hotel looking for work. Rio? I liked it and, once there, it's a cheap destination. A week's stay will be about right for most people.

What does it feel like when you come back home, where everyone knows your name, is always available for whatever queries and needs and where you feel you belong? After many stays at Grand Mercure, prior to and during the revamping, this is indeed home for me! A taxi from Santos Dumont airport takes some 20-25min and costs less than 50 reais. Don't accept to pay more than 100 reais taking a taxi from the international airport, there are many crooks there! On the metre and with no traffic, the ride shall be around 80 reais; on weekdays and before 9, heavy traffic into town may raise the cost. Bear in mind that only in Rio taxis are allowed to charge per item of luggage, 3 reais a piece. Also, make sure to inform the driver that the entrance is at Souza Lima 48 (side street), not at Atlântica. The hotel consists of three blocks, B and C are ready and A, the one with frontal view, is to be inaugurated in less than a year's time, so we hope! That's where the pool is, on the top floor, that's why the hotel doesn't offer one for the moment, but the beach service is available at no cost. A ramp for wheelchairs and to roll luggage is missing but that is the only con in the ample and welcoming reception. Felipe, Lucas, Ellen and Patrícia do a splendid job there, always with a genuine smile and readiness to any guests' needs. There are different room categories, each found in one block or the other an each with their specificities - make sure to read the details properly and choose the one which suits you, to avoid useless discussions at front desk. The hotel is constantly full, therefore changes aren't as simple and one must stick to what was chosen and booked! The higher in block C, the better, and make sure to get a room with an even ending, so you can wake up with the most magnificent sunset! Rooms are welcoming and spacious but I still miss an armchair and a better working table; having to shift furniture every time is annoying, the interior designer didn't really take that into account. Amenities are of good quality, water heats up quickly (no waste), the shower is powerful enough. Internet works everywhere, including in the smoking zone on the sidewalk. By the way, why not have a tap outdoors, so beachgoers can wash the sand off their feet before entering reception? Breakfast is improvised on the 2nd floor as a result of the build work, one needs to have understanding. In terms of variety, it is indeed plentiful there, with juices, hot dishes, cakes/breads, cheeses, cold cuts and a specific corner for those with some restriction. Danielle, Ana Luz and Nilson shall pamper you with a smile al the time! Banks, supermarkets, shops of all kinds, chemist's, restaurants and all sort of facilities are within walking distance; also you can take the bus to most attractions, the nearest tube station is some 10min away. Last but not least, Maíra and Rodrigo spread attentiveness and generosity, one can always count on them! What else should I say: it's so grand to be home there!