Having read the reviews on here before we went, we were really looking forward to it-if not a little apprehensive.
The hotel itself was clean & well equipped with lots of Brazilian families staying there on their holidays.
We found the hotel to be in the perfect location & a short bus ride away from the centre of Natal or Ponta Negra in the other direction.
There was only 1 restaurant within reasonable walking distance to the hotel, but it was good & the staff were friendly.
As with other reviews on here state, not much English is spoken around Natal. To get on you'll need to learn a few basic words of Portuguese (Its greatly appreciated).
There are some fantastic bargains to be had-so dont overfill your case with clothes on the way out!!
The pol at the hotel is just perfect & he water is warm & clean. We didnt realise unti we got to the hotel that there is wireless internet access (if you realy cant live without your emails). We found that buying "Time" on the internet was a cheaper way to communicate with those at home (Rather than calling we used msn or yahoo messenger). There are also internet access points in the shopping malls (of which there are plenty).
We've already decided that were going to go back & visit again soon (Mainly due to the fact that the pc ruined the camera card & weve lost over 400 pics!!!!!)
The hotel is not really suited to people with limited mobility & theres not many children (So its ideal for people seeking a retreat from screaming kids).
Along with the Brazilian tourists (From "Down South") there are alot of Scandinavians staying at the hotel.
All i can say is its a great place to go, the hotel is great & thank god its not a "Little Britain"!!!!!

My wife and I visited this hotel through Thomsons. It was only the second flight in with the company and so we were, i suppose, guniea pigs. The hotel was superb. Basic, but catered for all your needs. It was on the beach but please note that you MUST NOT take any valuables on there with you as there is a danger of mugging. Don't get me wrong it is very safe there if you have your wits about you we both went to the beach walking twice a day with no problems and watched the locals fish from the rocks but we didn't take anything with us and made sure no jewelery was in sight. Please don't let that put you off it's a wonderful place with fantastic people, lovely food, and cheap. Just go and enjoy, but, be street wise

The Porto do Mar Hotel is nearer to old Natal than new but with the aid of a taxi or one of the local buses it does not distract from the enjoyment of the holiday.
The hotel is well placed on the beachfront of Via Costiera and enjoys the benefits of a cooling breeze, which can be quite strong at the frnt of the hotel.
Rooms are clean and comfortable and the staff are very helpful despite having a limited grasp of the English language. Food is excellent with a great variety on the breakfast menu, varying from local cooked meats etc to an abundance of bread, cereals and fruits.
A small internet area with two PC's provides "ticket" Internet access for varying lengths of access time (charged accordingly from 10 reals).
Whether you go left or right from the hotel front you will find beaches and great restaurants - watch out for a custom of providing only meals for two, annoying if you don't share the same taste in food! In the "Mall" there is a great self-service restaurant where you can take your pick of a great variety of foods and pay for it by weight - spoonful of this, a ladel of that!
Great place for a cheap, friendly holiday.