The company I work for just recently started its operation in this part of Brazil so we were sending people over constantly for the past two months. We have tried more then a dozen hotels in Recife and I can say that they all follow the city standards: dirty and not well maintained. The Best Western is a good choice in comparison to the rest of the business hotels in Recife but I do have to warn you: the rooms are really small, the water smells really bad (bleach or something) and there is just too much noise in the streets, so you may want to ask for a room facing the back of the hotel. Apart from that, since the hotel is new, is one of the best we could find. As you may know, Recife is not a safe place to walk around and I must say that around this hotel is specially unsafe. You will be at the end of Boa Viagem beach, which is the beginning of the slum neighborhood. Be careful not to wonder around at night on your feet. Good place to eat: "Espetus" BBQ. Excellent.

There are very few hotels in Recife but we stayed at the Best Western close to Boa Viagem beach and it was a good choice, clean, well managed, good breakfast, roof top swimming pool and just a 5 minute walk from the beach and several good restaurants. Very little English is spoken so make sure you bring your Portugese phrase book. The beach is beautiful but it is not advisable to swim as there have been many shark incidents. The city centre is rough, noisy and poorly maintained but the Casa Cultura is worth a visit. The old city of Olinda is also worth a visit with interesting churches, architecture and shops selling local arts and crafts. I wouldn't advise hiring a car as the traffic is a bit chaotic and they drive very fast. Taxis are good but always ask what the fare will be before setting out on your journey. Buses are also reliable and worth getting to konw the system.The poor conditions some people live in are distressing and we saw several people sleeping rough and scavenging through bins and skips and you are never far from a slum 'favela'.

The room was clean and no frills---very, very basic. The staff were friendly. The food was okay--there's a buffet that also serves off the menu. They have room service, but there were some communication issues since I didn't speak Portuguese.

There were signs posted all over the hotel about watching your valuables, I had no problems. This is not a happening area at night, but it's just blocks from the beach and a nice walk during the day.

The hallways were dark, there aren't very light or airy spaces. The pool was rooftop, it was okay and there was a bar up there.

I was surprised at the cost, compared to other Brazilian hotels especially with how basic the room was. I would recommend this hotel if you are not looking for luxury, just someplace to sleep, especially if you want to be near the beach.

This is not near the Dutch colonial area, but there is a tour that the front desk can arrange. The tour was excellent, I wish I remembered the name of the company. I paid a little extra for English, but it was well worth it.