PortoBay Buzios

The Porto Bay Buzios welcomes each guest with a glass of sparkling wine. The spacious lobby-lounge is inviting and elegant. It features stylish, rustic style sofas, some Asian-inspired armchairs, abstract paintings, room dividers, and large mirrors. The lounge has large windows that open to the garden and the Atlantic Ocean, a bit further away. The adjacent patio provides cozy sofas for relaxing, or enjoying your drink from the lobby bar.

The pool area, with a tropical and romantic vibe, is the highlight here. Tall imperial palms stand behind the pool. The deck offers sun beds and relaxing areas covered with white curtains. The Breakfast Room and the Pool Bar -- located next to pool -- feel rustic and casual. Overall, the feeling at Porto Bay is relaxed and tranquil.

The Porto Bay Buzios offers a quiet and safe, mainly residential area with some pousadas (guest houses) and condominiums in the vicinity. The area feels safe, but for some, it may not be the ideal location, as distance to the beach is some 15 minutes on foot. Many find a car necessary.

The nearest beaches are Brava and João Fernandes. The Brava offers a pleasant beach, which often is quite calm and thus good for swimming. The Joäo Fernandes offers a bit busier scene with more tourists, vendors, kiosks, and beach bars. Snorkeling and scuba gear is available for rent at the beach.

The smaller Azeda, Azedinha, and Ossos beaches offer great views and a spot to swim and relax. They can be reached within 15 to 20 minutes walking. The downtown Búzios is also about a 10- to 15-minute walk away. It offers decent grills, seafood restaurants, cafes, and bars. The famous Rua das Pedras (stone street) has several small boutiques selling bikinis and beach wear. Orla Bardot offers sunset bars and a couple of nightclubs -- and of course, the statue of Brigitte Bardot, the most photographed spot in Búzios.

The nearby city of Cabo Frio offers shopping centers and also some good beaches. Arraial do Cabo (near Cabo Frio) features tropical scenery with white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, and some of the best dive spots in the area.

The Porto Bay Buzios offers 21 suites that come in three categories: Junior, Master, and Royal. The Royal suites were freshened up in 2014, and offer the most elegant ambiance, but the decor in all is stylish, if not quite luxurious. The floors feature light beige ceramic tiles, the furniture is made of dark wood, and the sofas are mainly white or beige, with bright throws and pillows. Bathrooms are clean, with modern ceramic tiling. They come with showers, luxe toiletries, and hairdryers.

There is some wear and tear, particularly in the Master Suites, which also feature small wet bars with coffeemakers. All suites have air-conditioning, minibars, safes, and 32-inch LCD TVs and DVD players. The suites come with spacious balconies equipped with tables and hammocks. The Royal Suites -- located on a higher level -- offer distant ocean views.

The hotel offers a charming pool area, which compensates a bit for the distance to the beach. Adjacent to the pool is the Breakfast Room, which serves only breakfast -- included in the room rate -- and snacks (salads, pizzas, sandwiches); cocktails are available from the Pool Bar. Room service is available part of the day. Near the pool guests can find a romantic massage area surrounded by white curtains. The hotel also has a dry sauna and steam room. The fitness room is quite tiny, and features only a couple cardio machines and free weights.

The front desk staff gets good feedback for their helpfulness. They assist guests with car rentals or arranging airport transfers, and sell tickets to city tours to Búzios, as well as to the nearby Cabo Frio. Tickets are also available for popular boat trips that include island-hopping, snorkeling, swimming, and plenty of caipirinhas (the national drink of Brazil).

The hotel does not offer parking inside the compound. Thus, guests arriving with cars are obliged to park on the street in front of the hotel (the hotel, though, has security guards).