I stayed at this hotel for four nights in March 2006, travelling for both business and pleasure. I chose this hotel based on the recommendation from a friend who had lived in Brazil, and she said it would be basic and no frills, but clean and safe and a short walk to the Copacabana beach.

I was travelling with a friend, and we had a room on the 9th floor with two twin beds. There was air conditioning unit and a small refrigerator, which was very convenient. Our room looked out onto Rua Domingos Ferreira, but it wasn't too noisy. There was a lock box available for storing valuables (like your passport!), but it was not in the room, but was inside an odd room on the second or third floor. It was such a hassle to get the staff to come open it up, sign our goods in/out, that we didn't use the lock box after the first day. I should say here that the staff were generally pleasant, but sometimes seemed overworked. Most were kind, particularly considering my limited Portuguese (only one of the six staff members I talked to spoke English).

The best part of this hotel, hands-down, is the breakfast room on the top floor, which has a perfect view of the Copacabana beach. Unfortunately, I missed the continental-style breakfast (included in the price of stay) the first couple of mornings in my rush to get to meetings. On the third morning, I had pastries with guava jelly and a simply divine cup of coffee, with the windows to the breakfast room open and a breeze coming in ever so gently. I was really kicking myself for missing this the previous days!

Overall, I would say this is a good hotel for younger folks who are looking for basic accomodations. The beds were adequate, the bathroom was old but clean. This place isn't a four-star hotel, but we were in Rio, and spent the majority of our time either at meetings or sightseeing. Considering all my other travels in South America, the price of this hotel wasn't cheap to me, but it seemed about for Rio right considering what other places were charging. We weren't there for Carnaval or the peak of tourist season, so I can't comment on what the Toledo is like then. Next time I am in Rio and want to stay near the beach, I will probably stay here.