This is no longer a Radisson but a Sheraton for the last few months. The location on the safe and…read morequiet Tajuca beach is beautiful though a good 45 minutes by taxi from the heart of Rio. Having said that, the area is rich in its own bars, restaurants and night life. Unlike Rios more famous beaches which are constructed on reclaimed land, Tajuca is natural with a gentle gradation into the sea. No sudden drops 10 yards in which catch you by surprise. Hotel suites are the best feature. Effectively an Aparthotel with massive balconies all with full sea views. Not to miss out an amazing spar and beautiful pool area with a feature waterfall. At £80 a nite it's a real contender for a Rio stay.

This should not be seen as a four star hotel. Location on the beach is great. Barra Tijuca beachbis…read morenice, safe, and beautiful. The area has a few restaurants and bars but its not really a happening spot. More like a local beach neighborhood than a world class tourist attraction. A goof 30 minutes to an hour from Rios main attractuons. The lobby is very nice. But the rooms are outdated and in need of significant upgrade. And while i was there the water damage was so severe the roof was leaking in several places on top floor making the place stink of mold. Patios for each room is a nice addition.

Very nice hotel in a beautiful location. If you get a room facing the beach you will have an…read moreamazing view. The rooms are very comfortable and the air conditioning works well. Unfortunately, I could not get the phone to work to schedule a wake up call even after reading the instructions. The television did not translate to English after trying to change the language. The room did not have washcloths or hand towels. The lobby carpets could be cleaner. Very good price for the hotel. The check in process took a little longer than it should have. I felt like I was buying a car.

This is a good hotel across from the beach. Very clean and secure. They offer beach service: towels…read morethat you pick up on SS1 and then on the beach they have umbrellas and chairs (if available). Breakfast buffet is included and very good. Service is slow so if you are a coffee drinker and expect to drink a few cups you will have to patiently wait for a server or if you are lucky, they might leave the coffee in your table. The pool is located on the top floor and is never crowded. They also have clean pool towels. Just help yourself. Things that they could improve: - service is slow - valet is even worse. If you are in a hurry, call ahead to ask for your car and have patience to wait some more. One time it took 30 MINuTES to get our car - Internet : wifi is slow and you pay for it There are a few restaurants close by. The pasta one next door is fancy and more expensive. The steak house to the other side is good but seat were greasy. I prefer wallking a few more blocks and going to "Baladinha Mix" to eat some brazilian food and nice juices. We ate at the hotel a few times for lunch and dinner and it was too expensive for what they had. Just when is raining but their "Feijoada" on Saturday is delicious and you must try if you like black beans. ;-) Esse hotel é bem localizado na praia na Barra. Bem limpo e seguro mas nao é perfeito. Falaram 5 estrelas mas nao concordo. Alguns elevadores nao funcionam para alguns andares, o serviço no cafe da manha é muito lento e a internet nao é de graça como a maioria dos hoteis 5 estrelas!!! Voce paga R$30 por dia pela Internet Eles oferecem toalhas pra praia no sub solo, e cadeiras e guarda sol tb na praia quando estao disponiveis. Na cobertura onde fica a piscina, eles tambem tem toalhas a disposicao e lanchonete. Para jantar e almoçar fomos raramente ao restaurante do hotel pois é muito caro para o que oferece. De sabado eles tem uma feijoada deliciosa com batidinha de coco mas o resto da semana eu prefiro caminhar e ir em outros restaurantes maravilhosos de frente pra praia tb. Gostaria muito que o Maitre na hora do cafe da manha parasse de bater papo com os outros funcionarios e prestasse atençao aos hospedes com xicaras vazias. O Chef que faz os waffles e omeletes é uma simpatia e otimo na cozinha. O cafe da manha vale a pena especialmente por causa do omelete dele.

While this property sits on a beautiful beach, the actual hotel experience was highly frustrating…read more The rooms are very dated, completely lack heat, and the corners of the large shower were covered in mold. Customer service is practically non-existent. The front desk often had 5-6 people standing there while a single clerk managed a long line of guests. Communication was a massive hurdle; outside of the front desk, no one spoke English, and staff continuously spoke Portuguese to us despite being told we didn't speak it. It took four calls and a near-overflowing toilet demonstration just to get a broken toilet fixed because the maintenance worker didn't understand the issue. Furthermore, housekeeping ignored dirty room service plates (leading to trays piling up in the hallways), and a simple poolside food order took over an hour. Nobody here seemed to want to help. I will definitely book a different hotel next time.

Sol da Barra is a rare gem in the hospitality industry. Barra isn't the most often toured part of…read moreRio (Cococabana would be, I'm sure), and is mostly frequented (as I was told) by business travels and conference goers (guilty!!). Most of the people visiting seemed to be either attending a conference (Those name tags....) or Brazilians. First off, the reception was EXCEPTIONAL. As soon as I booked the hotel (through Booking.com) the front desk contacted me through email to ensure that I'd have what I needed during my stay. They offered to arrange a taxi, and asked me about my sleeping preferences (in English). As the time got closer to my stay, they contacted me again to verify everything was correct and was able to deal with my last minute credit card change. When I got there, the front desk attendant spoke English very well, and was able to help translate the taxi driver's Portuguese so I could pay him appropriately as well as tip him and get a receipt for compensation from work. The busboy carried my luggage, operated the elevator, and showed me how everything in the room worked. He didn't speak English, but was able to communicate well enough. Phillipe, at the front desk, was so nice and chatted with me for quite some time in very very good English while I was going in and out. My cab back to the airport was also arranged through the front desk, and was a very good experience. As far as I could tell, Sol da Barra has some of the best free Wi-Fi available to the guests. Breakfast was traditional Brazilian (Cake for breakfast? Yes please! Guava juice? Absolutely!! Strong Coffee??....Well you know it!). there were also eggs, bacon and sausage available, but I stuck with the more traditional fruit, cheese, and cold cuts that the Brazilians were eating (If you're in Brazil, you've got to take advantage of the fresh fruit). The beach is across the street but it's a little dangerous to cross. There's a stop light not too far up the road, so if you're a beach goer definitely make a point to go the few extra steps, Brazilians do NOT stop for anything. Here's a few more tips for your visit to Brazil... Brazilians typically don't throw toilet paper in the toilet. Sol da Barra has signs notifying you of this. They have a bidet like system in that there is a hose next to the toilet...You know what it's for. Toilet paper goes in the can next to the toilet if you use it (which I believe is expected). There are prostitutes along the avenue. If it's dark, they're out. It's just a fact...Prostitution is legal in Brazil, so... The places along the Avenue are generally a little expensive, but the places along the beach are much more so. If you go "inland" a bit, things will be cheaper. Barra is a very safe neighborhood, but I'd walk in groups. If you're reading this, you're probably thinking about going to Brazil. Enjoy your stay :)