Rio Design Barra

Excellent location, good service, the room was not as good as I expected for the price I paid

The location of this hotel is fantastic, especially during Carnival. It made getting around very convenient and added so much to the overall experience. What truly makes this place stand out, however, is the staff. Every interaction I had was positive. The woman at the front desk was incredibly helpful and kind she seamlessly assisted me in switching rooms and even helped me secure a last-minute ticket to the Sambadrome, which I truly appreciated. Another front desk staff member (The Black Man) went out of his way to help me find transportation to the Sambadrome when it was extremely difficult to get a taxi and multiple Uber requests were unsuccessful. When it was time to leave, a staff member (A Young Black Man) kindly carried my bags out to the taxi on my way to the airport. The team’s professionalism and willingness to help are what make this hotel deserving of five stars in terms of service. I did pay a significantly increased rate about double the usual price due to Carnival, as the hotel is advertised as five-star. Unfortunately, the property itself did not meet five-star standards. My initial room, which I understand may have been assigned due to high occupancy, was not very clean and had issues with mosquitoes and dead roaches. It felt like a room that isn’t used often. After switching, my new room was an improvement, but still did not quite meet five-star expectations. The facilities fell short of a five-star experience, the staff and location would bring me back.

Well managed, well located. A great breakfast with attentive service.