I had never gone to this hotel before, so I didn't know what to expect. It was a wonderful surprise. The place was so much better than any hotels I'd been to in the area before. (Even though there are others that are also very nice.)

The building is very beautiful all around and the rooms are very comfortable and clean. The service is perfect as well.
The pool and sauna on the top floor are wonderful, I was so delighted to discover they had that.
Having your lunch served under the carioca sun on the side of the pool is amazing, especially with the nice view and the delicious caipirinhas.

We walked down the beach of Copacabana after lunch, it's just steps away. There are some great restaurants along the beach also, you don't need to drive or anything if you feel like going there for dinner, it's really only steps away, you just stroll down and pick one. (I recommend Marius, their seafood is still one of the most remarkable in Rio, and out of this world delicious.)

Breakfast at the hotel was great as well, with a huge selection of foods, the more international kind as well as more traditional Brazilian things. Yummy!!

I'll happily go there again next time!

I satyed here for 9 days, whilst on buisiness in Rio.
The staff are friendly enough, the breakfast is great, but the rooms are more hostel like.
I have stayed in much nicer Bed and Breakies.
The rooms are very basic. I stayed on both floor 9 and 7 and the rooms were exactly the same.
Small, dark and basic.
The bed was comfy enough, the sheets clean, but the overall cleanliness was lacking. The tiled floors, were feeling grubby and the bedside mats felt dirty and sticky, (yuck)! and I put these away soon after my arrival.
I'm 6'2" and the room felt small and dark. The bathroom was basic and lacked the feel of the 4 star expected.
Would I stay here again?
No! I found several holtels of a similar price, close by, but much much ncer.
The breakfast was great and the rooftop pool w.as okay, but cold.
If you are looking for a vacation hotel, don't bother here

To make this review in all fairness, the hotel is well rennovated inside and well maintained.
The staff is polite and professional but just the strict necessary. Not everyone there speaks english, some of the staff speak no english at all, which can make things a bit harder to get information. To get information from the staff on the city and where to go etc, they only provide the necessary tourist standard data.
The internet cafe is several blocks away, which is quite an inconvenience.
The location is not the greatest, its far from the beach, a 10 minute walk, and the area is not safe to walk in after dark.
This means you have to spend a fortune to go around by taxis. It is quite a walk to the metro stop like 10-15 minutes, and the streets leading up to the metro can be quite sketchy even if you are walking in the morning and in broad day light.
The breakfast is definitely nothing to write home about.
Although our stay there was good, we would not return to that hotel.
Also it is the only hotel that charged us extra to use the safe, there was a daily charge to use the safe that was not included in the room rate. And this information was not divulged to us prior to arrival.
Safe travels!

Two nights in Merlin to visit Rio
Good location, walking distance from the beach
However, located on the main avenue between Copacabana and the Center, no isolation, so terrible traffic all day and night. Moreover, 11th floor is right under the machinery of the swimming pool, so terrible noise of the pump. Extremely noisy.
Breakfast average.
Staff very smart and reactive, but can do nothing about noise...