I stayed here at the time it was changing from Intercontinental to Royal Tulip. I didn't know it was meant to become Royal Tulip but they shoved a note under my door during night three, saying I had to pay because they'd changed ownership. This was despite my staying for two more nights.
Still, I knew something was not quite correct because I was not checked in at Club level in spite of my ambassador card. Most of the rooms at this level were full because of the Rock in Rio festival but this was not the reason I was given.
The hotel itself is definitely not a four/five star. The bar is old and has absolutely no character, the rooms have cracks and the furniture is at least twenty years old and so uncomfortable that even fakirs would consider checking out.
When it came to the change of owners/paying up situation, the lobby was filled with bemused guests who didn't know what was going on. To add to the misery of the guests, the staff didn't know what to do either. It soon became apparent that guests were being charged for minibar usage they did not know about and phone calls they hadn't made. I got slapped with an almost £200 bill for the phone and I'd not made a single phone call. When I mentioned this, the receptionist said, 'Oh maybe not then,' and deleted it from the bill. I am sure that, as soon as this spread, people started claiming they hadn't used their minibars at all.
To be honest, there aren't many great hotels in Rio and it's difficult to find anything of any decent value but I would definitely suggest to continue looking. The location isn't great either. Apparently, one of the worst favellas in Rio is right behind the hotel and two (albeit rather stupid) guests got mugged right outside the hotel. Sure, the beach is right in front of the hotel and safe but where in Rio is there not a beach right outside? The fact is that you need a taxi to get anywhere, so forget the nightlife or going for walks.
- Intercontinental Hotel Rio
- Intercontinental Rio De Janeiro
