Promenade Princess Copacabana

The 11-story Promenade Princess Copacabana hotel offers a small, but contemporary lobby set with dark gray and black curved sofas and circular glass tables. Janete Costa, a well known Brazilian artist and architect, has created powerful artwork -- true conversation pieces -- both in the lobby lounge and in the first level breakfast room. The pool area is quite large and landscaped with blooming frangipani trees. It offers plenty of space to relax on sun loungers or to work out in the adjacent fitness center. The hotel is mainly frequented by local and foreign business clients, but offers an excellent mid-range alternative for tourists, too.

The Promenade Princess Copacabana has a central Copacabana location on a quiet side street two blocks from the beach and only a couple of minutes walk away from the nearest metro station, Cantagalo. The neighborhood offers all the requisite Copacabana goodies: juice bars, botecos (casual street restaurants), and churrascarias (Brazilian grills), small boutiques, souvenir shops, pharmacies, money changers, and supermarkets. Key attractions (Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer, Botanical Gardens) can be easily reached by taxi in about 30 minutes. Galeão International Airport is about a 35-minute drive and Santos Dumont Airport can be reached in 15-minutes, depending on traffic. Expect to pay for parking at the hotel. 

The Promenade Princess Copacabana hotel has 44 Junior Suites with furnished balconies. All apartments include a kitchenette, which is equipped with a microwave, stovetop, refrigerator, coffeemaker, and utensils. The main room has a small dining table with seating for two, a loveseat, and a writing desk. All suites feature 32-inch LCD-TVs on wooden turntables, for easy viewing from the bed or living room. Free Wi-Fi, safes, and iPod docking stations are standard. Bedrooms are outfitted with a double bed or two single beds. Bathrooms feature white ceramic tiles and black granite countertops. Showers are encased in glass. Furnished balconies offer views of the street or bleak vistas of grimy buildings. Some wear and tear is evident, and bathroom fixtures show limescale build up.

The hotel offers a first level cafe that serves a free, hot buffet breakfast though there is no restaurant or bar on-site. Wi-Fi is free throughout and there's a notebook computer for guests to use in the lobby. An on-site meeting room has a capacity for 30 people. The highlight of the hotel is the large swimming pool with tables, chairs, and sun loungers. Adjacent to the pool is a small fitness center with some basic workout equipment. A steam room, sauna, and indoor whirlpool are next to the gym. The hotel offers laundry service for a fee. Beach towels are available free of charge.

As is common in Brazil, the hotel doesn't offer a separate concierge desk. However, the bilingual front desk staff address guest queries and sells tickets to city tours, samba shows, and football games at the Maracanã stadium.