Ipanema Inn is a basic, but good hotel.
I did book in advance. If you book when being in Rio it is much more expensive.
Charge was 140 US$ a night, which is not much in Ipanema.
Do not book trips and tixis through the reception. Much cheaper and just that easy doing that yourself.
Beware not to pay the 10% servicio they charge you at the end of your stay. You can refuse.

This place is way overpriced for what it is. I stayed only one night instead of a planned three. I was supposed to have a sea view room (which is impossible where the hotel is), there was some sort of bug or coackroach crawling over the breakfast, the rooms are uncharming and so is most of the staff. I got a room with a door connected to the room next to it, so I heard the guy over there snoring as if he was lying next to me...

It is just not worth the money - go to Copacabana for some cheaper options and keep riding on the taxi to Ipanema (taxis in Brazil are not as expensive as in Europe or the US).

Most people have already outlined the pros of this hotel (mainly location and value) so let me focus on some of the 'watch outs' with this hotel.

- If you are budget-minded DO NOT book taxis or tours (incl. Carnaval and football tickets) through this hotel. We understand the addition of a small service fee, however their mark-ups are crazy. Some examples:
---> 170 Reals per person quoted for a ticket to the football - we bought tickets for 90 Reals from a local agency incl. transport
---> 100 Reals per person quoted to see sambadrome rehearsals - the event is actually FREE! Incl bus fares, snacks and drinks we only spent 20 Reals in total
---> 70 Reals for taxi to the airport quoted (should only cost 40-45 Reals)

They will go as far as telling you that an area is unsafe to get you to book with them. Our advice is to do your research before coming to this hotel to save yourself a LOAD of money. It is perfectly safe to catch buses and the metro and taxis can easily be hailed from the street.

Specifically about Carnaval tickets... know the average cost of tickets before coming to Rio and booking through the hotel. The internet **mysteriously** stopped working over the entire Carnaval period which meant everyone had to trust that they were getting a fair price (and they definitely were not!).

This hotel has potential, mainly because the location is fantastic and the non front desk staff are lovely.

this hotel need a bit of good decoration and better services to make it a top address, but its clean and comfortable