Hotel Marina Palace Rio Leblon

Across the street from the Leblon beach, looking out on the Dois Irmãos mountain, Hotel Marina Palace's surroundings could not get much better. The hotel itself is a narrow, tall building with a 1970s-look. Inside, the lobby is compact and clean, though it doesn't inspire the sense of luxury one might expect of a four-pearl establishment. Decor includes beige leather chairs and brown tile floors, along with some colored and sepia-tone images of beachscapes. There's a spacious lobby bar with chic, modern wood chairs with black and brown cushions. The marble reception desk, a rhomboidal-shape, is small for the size of the hotel, and its awkward positioning often leads to crowding, even when the hotel's not overrun with guests. The Vizta Restaurant, on the second floor, is simple and elegant. Utilizing a more high-brow version of the lobby bar styling, there are wood tables with leather place mats, and brown-leather and dusty-blue fabric chairs. The view of the beach is gorgeous and the floor-to-ceiling windows bring a lot of natural light into the space, particularly in the bar area, with its cool white stone and brown woven seating. On weekend evenings, the restaurant has live jazz and bossa nova music. 

The Hotel Marian Palace is located in the Leblon neighborhood of Rio De Janeiro. An upscale part of town, )particularly along Avenida Feldim Moreira), there are only a handful of hotels in the area, generally on par with the Marina Palace. Despite being primarily residential, there are plenty of shops, bars, and restaurants around. The beautiful Ipanema-Leblon beach is the main attraction, just across the street. Not near a metro, the hotel is not convenient to the city's center or tourist attractions, like the National Museum of Brazil, which is over an hour by bus and about 30 minutes by car.  

Simple and moderately sized, most of the rooms at the Hotel Marina Palace are in need of updates, which they are slowly getting during 2015 renovations. Un-renovated rooms have worn carpets, tired furniture, and loud air-conditioners. Many have beautiful views of the beach and the nearby Dois Irmãos mountain, and are generally clean, but many guests feel prices are too high for un-refurbished rooms. Some options, such as the Double Deluxe and Executive Suites, have been redone and are much brighter, with elegantly colored accent walls, natural wood flooring, neutral curtains, and bright artwork that is subtly reminiscent of the beach (either the water or sunset depending the room's color palette). Deluxe rooms may feel a little small, with desks crammed next to beds, but suites are more expansive with separate seating areas containing modern couches and simple wood tables. Bathrooms are plain and moderately sized, with faux marble counters, large showers, and Trousseau bath products. Rooms come with flatscreen TVs, minibars, safes, and Wi-Fi (for a fee).

The hotel provides a free buffet breakfast, and the Vizta restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, as well, with live music on the weekend evenings. The Bar da Praia, across the street from the beach, is a more stimulating place to grab a drink than the lobby bar, and serves food, such as sushi. The hotel's rooftop sun-deck has a square-shaped dipping pool and poolside bar. Already a lovely place to catch some sun and enjoy unparalleled views of the water, this rooftop area is undergoing renovation in 2015, during which time the pool will be expanded. The fitness center, currently nothing more than a small room with a treadmill and an elliptical, will also be expanded. On the beach, the hotel provides free chairs, umbrellas, and towels to guests.