It was very strange to me and my family to visit Rio de Janeiro in January this year and to have many hot days in the middle of the winter! We had pre-booked reservation at the Rio Buzios Beach Hotel and were welcomed in a large room, which came very clean and with enormous bed and a great terrace. We had nice views to the ocean, but I liked most the location. The hotel is neighboring one beach and is placed only short walk from another! I used to swim a lot and enjoy myself! We also had a shuttle bus we did not paid for, which we used to go to the center of the city at evening where we ate. The breakfast we had in the hotel was very tasty and there was a variety. The internet was good, I used it a lot and I didn’t pay for it. The staff at the hotel was very friendly and helpful, especially when my father lost his wallet with all his documents – they found it and returned it immediately. All in all, the hotel is nice for a family holiday and we enjoyed our time there.

This is a curious hotel: great rooms (spacious, with king-size bed and a large balcony) worthy of a 5-star classification, but with a limited range of other services (no spa, small gym, simple poolside bar and restaurant) resembling more a 3-star hotel, and with rates between them.
Despite it's situated on a hill, with lateral ocean view, the location in Buzios is excellent: next to Joao Fernandes beach and only 10 minutes walking from Azeda beach (one of the closest hotels to it). Moreover, the hotel provides a (free) shuttle service to the downtown area at night (which is good, as parking might be dificult).
The staff was always very friendly and helpful. Initially, we faced some problems (swimming pool was dirty, some orders placed by us didn't come as we expected) and complained to the manager. We felt they really listened us and took prompt actions.
Breakfast is excellent. However, the food from the poolside bar and restaurant is erratic (except the cakes at dinner, always delicious).
Bear in mind this is a big hotel (70 rooms) that receives lots of families with children (mainly from Argentina, we were the only brazilians during our stay). Thus, it doesn't really suit those looking for a charming and relaxing experience.

My husband and I stayed at the Rio Buzios Beach Hotel for three nights. The main clientele at the hotel seemed to be tourists from all over South America. We did not encounter any other English speaking guests at the hotel, or in Buzios for that matter.

Buzios is a very charming small city with beautiful beaches. The center of town, where most of the restaurants and shops are, can be accessed either by mini-vans driven by locals (you flag them down if the sign on the mini-van matches where you want to go), taxi, or if it is after 8:00 p.m. or so, the hotel's shuttle. The hotel is about a block away from Joao Fernandez beach, which is a very nice little beach. It is a nice place to go if you want a quiet and romantic stay, but would probably be too tame for someone looking for more action.

The hotel offers a lot of nice little extras - free internet in the lobby, the free shuttle at night, an entertainer sang and danced one night while we were there, which was a lot of fun since there was audience participation, and the staff was always eager to help with restaurant suggestions, and even arranged an in-room massage at a very reasonable price for us (I believe it was about R$180 for two people). The grounds are quite lovely and very well maintained, and there is a nice outdoor bar with reasonable prices where we enjoyed a late night drink or two. The hotel does not change money but there is a cambio about a block away that will give you a better rate than a hotel would anyway. The front desk arranged a tour for us to several beaches that was very nice. If you are looking for a laundromat, there is one near the McDonald's near the center of town. You can drop off your clothes and pick them up about two hours later. Not cheap, but it is so hot in Buzios you will probably need to wash some clothes if you stay for any length of time. Don't forget to bring sunscreen - you will need it. We saw lots of people who were very badly burned.

very high class hotel. good facilities
very close to beach but not ön the beach.