The Plaza Hotel is located in the old part of Manaus, which has certainly seen better days. The worse thing about the hotel and the room is that it was very expensive for what it was as we paid about $70 U.S. We´ve stayed in similar rooms for $25 in most South American cities. The high price raised our expectations for a nice hotel in which we could relax after spending seven days in the Amazon.

The room we stayed in had very little windows and so was dark. It was also dirty and needed a paint job. Thankfully it had an air conditioner as we were here during the rainy season and it was very humid. The staff forgot to give us a television remote and when we returned to ask for one they told us that they had run out. The beds were average, with the bath and bed linens okay, but the pillows were rectangles of foam. Breakfast was a pretty big buffet of tastless food.

The location did not make us feel secure although the hotel itself seems okay in this regard. While parts of the centro have been refurbished, notably the Teatro Amazona, most of the area looks and feels run down and unsafe. Beautiful colonial buildings have been restored, but next to them are strip tease shows and porn theaters.

Manaus is not the best place to be as a tourist in Brazil, but the Plaza has set a new standard for me. It was the worst place where I have been during my trip, the escaped after a night. The hotel is rather old and a renovation 10 years ago would have been a good idea, but they didnt invest money since a long time. But thats not the real problem, what really disappointed me is that they ha prostitutes hanging around in front of the hotel who harrazed me as a single male travellers without any request for their service. The hotel made it wore as they first gave them my phone number and i got couple of calls late, where they offered their services. After I didnt answer the phone any more and wnated to sleep they hotel apparently gave some of them my room number and they started knocking on my door. I got really upset and made a very angry complained, which ended the problem around 11 pm. A really horrible place if you consider the crime situation in Brazil and the privacy that I expect.

Great base to explore Manaus from. Centrally located and sister hotel to the much more expensive Taj Mahal hotel. This 4 star hotel was exceptional value costing only 25 pounds a night for a room with breakfast. They allow you to use the pool facilities in the Taj Mahal. Definately recommeded as great value for money.