Hotel Astoria Palace

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Minor snag but great overall

With the exception of this isolated incident i would rate this hotel highly. The incident occured when i changed american dollars to Brazilian Reai at the front desk. The person whom i believe was the manager short changed me as it seems he was also busy answering the telephone. When i questioned him later that evening he became very rude and obnoxious with me. He abruptly stated that they do not balance out the cashier or count cash at the end of the day so that there was no way to trace or prove it. When i asked him to lower his voice because it was upsetting me he responded "Me too"!

Nice Place, but service issues

Great location facing beach, wonderful breakfast, wonderful view from rooftop, nice rooms, though a little small. Convenient currency exchange at front desk. Many English speaking staff. Disconcerting but not deal-breaker service issues: 1) The elevator wasn't working properly. Once we reported this to staff, it was put out of commission. But one would hope that for safety of guests, elevators would be regularly checked. 2) After checkout, hotel staff would not allow us to make a phone call from the front desk. This does not correspond to the quality of service one would expect from such a hotel. 3) Was advertised as having free wifi, when in fact free wifi is only available in lobby and rooftop. Room rates for wifi are very expensive. 4) Rooftop bar was advertised, but never open. I would still recommend this hotel, just be aware of extra charges and service limitations.

New, clean rooms

The hotel staff was friendly and multilingual. A taxi stand was nearby, and the neighborhood felt safe. Even better was the location directly on Copacabana Beach. Breakfast was good as well. My only complaints are: 1) I didn't request a room with a view, and 2) one day, the hotel room was only partially cleaned. (The bathroom wasn't cleaned)

Great Hotel & Location for the Money

The hotel was recently renovated and it showed. The location is great, right across from the beach. Strongly recommend to get the free WiFi/breakfast package.

Location it's best asset

Hotel Astoria PAlace is not a luxury hotel. It is a workng class hotel..does the job, but w/no flare or "class". Rooms are in need of sprucing up..bedding worn, pillows flat, holes in bedsheets,dingy towels. But, for the price, what can you expect on Copocabana Beach? They are busy, so obviously don't see tne need to invest in better quality. You have to pay for EVERYTHING extra.. rental for a towel at the pool,ice,internet a ridiculous .25 cents (U.S.) a minute. Best thing about it is the location. It's perfect. Make sure you have a beach view,though, otherwise could be downright depressing. Some restaurants nearby, and no danger walking around. Staff helpful, but only front desk personnel speak English. Breakfast was good..lots of choices and well stocked.

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great location but poor service

The hotel is in a great location. It's next to the Copacabana Palace and right in front of the beach!! However, the service at the hotel is terrible. They are very unresponsive to most requests, like helping with restaurant reservations, flight confirmation, etc.

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Adequate accommodations for the price

Rooms were very clean although quite small. Hotel staff was friendly and very helpful to those who were not versed in the native language of Portuguese. Continental breakfast was a real treat; you will not leave this buffet hungry. Enjoyed the roof top pool and lounge area!!!!

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Very nice hotel, great location

I have stayed at hotels throughout South America and I know that it is difficult to find accommodations that are good quality at a reasonable price. The Hotel Astoria Palace was both affordable and a high quality establishment. The lobby is small and can get crowded with tours occasionally, but the rooms are generously sized, clean, and the appointments are new and fresh. The front desk staff all spoke fluent English; the hotel staff, such as maids, did not speak English. Laundry services were very high quality and fast. The included breakfast was delicious. The internet connection, which was included in the price, was adequate for my needs though I noticed the signal strength was occasionally weak. Nevertheless, I was always able to connect to my company's VPN, check email, and do whatever research I needed. Also, you can use wireless internet from the rooftop pool to take advantage of the beautiful beach views. Even with traffic, it takes only approximately 20 minutes by taxi to reach the Centro region of Rio; approximately 10 to Botogfogo, 5-8 minutes to Ipanema.

Scam Artists

Do not exchange monsy, book a tour or order a taxi from the hotel. Example: Hotel booked taxi to airport R$70 however on the corner 30 feet from the hotel enterence is a taxi stand where the same taxi only costs R$35 !I can understand a service fee but 100% seems over the top for me. On check out they tried to bill me for using the mini bar even though I had not touched it. A beer in the bar outside the hotel R$3.50 inside R$6.00. Turs were at least 30% more expensive than by booking direct. If you need any information from the front desk you are best to call from your room as if you go down to the reception and try to ask a question the people at reception will answer 10 calls received by phone rather than deal with your request.

"NICKEL AND DIMED ME"

I really didn't like the fact that the staff "nickel and dime" me when it was time to check out. Complimentary snacks and drinks are in the room and I know not to use them and I didn't however as I was checking out the bellhop went in to check my room and he said an ice tea was "partially opened". I had my own drinks. Also in order for the room light to work you had to insert room key in the slot inside the room. When the housekeeper leaves the room she takes the key and when you get back the room is really hot. It's Rio!!!!