Royal Rio Palace Hotel

The 242-room Royal Rio Palace has a convenient and central location at Posto 3 area in Copacabana, which is well known for its beautiful Art Deco buildings. Opened in 2003, the hotel is popular among local business clients and international leisure travelers alike. The always lively Copacabana beach is just two blocks away and guests may also enjoy the sun at the rooftop swimming pool area, which provides great views over the city.

The Royal Rio Palace has a convenient location. It is only two blocks from the Copacabana beach, one block from the Cardeal Arcoverde metro station, and its neighborhood is full of restaurants, bars, tourist shops, supermarkets, car rentals agencies, and banks. The metro takes you fast and safely in 20 minutes to the business district of Centro, which features great colonial period architecture, old baroque style churches, plazas and busy markets. The Centro area offers some great nightlife -- for example, at Lapa area -- particularly during weekends. 

Buses stop at both Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana (a block away) and Rua Barata Ribeiro. The most popular tourist sights, such as the Sugar Loaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer, and the Botanical Gardens can be reached within 20 to 30 minutes by car. The international airport of Galeão is some 30 to 40 minutes away by taxi, and the domestic airport (Santos Dumont) can normally be reached by taxi within 20 minutes. Distance to Ipanema is some 10 minutes by car or a brisk 30-minute walk.

The rooms are clean and come in three categories: standard, deluxe, and superior deluxe. In addition, the hotel offers three suites. Two floors (the fifth and sixth) are dedicated to smoking rooms. The decor is bland, and the floors feature ceramic tiles or granite. The bathrooms have granite, marble, and/or ceramic tiles. The bathrooms are of a reasonably good size (for Rio standards). They offer showers, hairdryers, and toiletries. Some have bathtubs, and the superior deluxe rooms and suites have private saunas.

The Royal Rio Palace offers a pretty complete list of perks. A good hot buffet breakfast -- included in the room rate -- is served at the lobby level restaurant. For lunch and dinner, the Royal restaurant offers international a´la carte meals. The 24-hour room service is for those opting for in-room dining. The hotel has a business center with several desk tops and free Wi-Fi is available in all areas. The rooftop features a truly welcoming swimming pool area with views over Copacabana. Adjacent is a pool bar and the upper lever has a small, but modern, fitness center and a steam room.

The hotel receives positive reviews on staff attentiveness and friendliness. Most of the reception staff is bilingual. Tickets to soccer games, samba shows, and city tours can be purchased from the front desk. Laundry service is available and the hotel also offers parking (for a fee).