Hilton Rio de Janeiro Copacabana — Hotel in Região Geográfica Imediata do Rio de Janeiro

I want to say that I'm confused how this place is rated so highly. The reviews and the photos were the reason that decided to spend my last day in Rio there, I thought it would be a bit of a treat, however, it turned into a nightmare.

First of all, they have a very silly rule. You can't have any more than 2 people inside your room at one time (keep in mind my reservation has 2 people slated). Therefore, my friend and I are not allowed to entertain any friends in our $200/day+ hotel room as any guest would put us over the 2 people. It's a silly rule. While silly rules are terrible, they bother me less when they are enforced equitably. The hotel is right on the beach, and I'd eat my hand if you are telling me that the majority of people staying in the hotel are complying with that rule - that no new friends were made on the beach and more than 2 people were in a hotel room. So why were me and my party singled out? Honestly I think with many of these things, my dark skin invited more scrutiny - it's a very fancy hotel and perhaps they think we don't belong so watch you more carefully - ask you more questions. They should remove this rule because there is no way on earth it is enforced equitably. After complaining and making a stink, they allowed me guests, but it was infuriating to have to go through a process in for a rule so absurd that it is absolutely unenforceable (there is no way they know who is a guest based on face alone).

Outside of that annoying experience which soured my stay, the AC in my room did not work. I called the front desk, said they would send someone, nothing. You can't even open the windows for air, so I just sweated throughout the night - in a room I paid $200+/day for. Looking at the reviews, this seems a common problem and the fact that Hilton will knowingly put its members in a room with nonfunctional AC without disclosing and charge them that rate is disgusting.

The key card reader for the door was also not working. Rm 618. You have to insert and remove your card EXTREMLEY slowly, or you would get red blinking lights and the door wouldn't open. Listen, is that a big deal? Not at a Motel 8, but this is a $200+/day Hilton Hotel in Copacabana. Inexcusable. Given how inexpensive AirBNBs are in Rio, I don't have a clue how these guys are able to command these rates.

Also, they say you have the option to pay for things with cash or card at the bar on the first floor or the rooftop, but that doesn't really happen. At both locations they said it was okay, but in the end it just got put on the room. The amount of energy it would have taken to go another way was not worth the effort - I'm on vacation - I don't want stress. And because of that, I leave Brazil with more Brazilian currency/cash than I would like.

I love Hilton, they are my first choice in hotels. This was the only Hilton experience I've had in my life that was absolutely rotten. You stay are supposed to stay at Hilton because you know you will receive great service, I did not get that. At every corner, large and small, Hilton Copacabana...

We chose to stay at Hilton Copacabana Beach due to being Hilton Honors Gold Members through American Express Platinum card.

Upon check in, due to our Gold member status, we had the option of points or free breakfast. Of course we took the free breakfast. In addition to this, we also received four complimentary waters but unfortunately no room upgrade.

We booked a junior suite with an ocean view. We were allocated a room on the 12th floor. Once I realised that there were 39 floors, I was somewhat disappointing.

The room itself was spacious. There was a corridor from the entrance door into the main bedroom. This area had a good sized wardrobe housing an ironing board, iron plus shelving, hangers and a safe. Off the corridor, was a large bathroom. This has a double sized bath tub with whirlpool and a shower with glass sliding doors. The vanity was also an ample size with two sinks and lots of storage for toiletries.

The bedroom had a king sized bed and a small table with two chairs. Plus there was a desk, tv, coffee making facilities and a well stocked mini bar.

The decor in the room was a little dated and tired. The size of it plus the large window with a direct view of Copacabana beach allowed us to excuse this.

The 38th Floor of the hotel had a good sized gym with a variety of exercise machines. There was also a swimming pool on the 4th floor.

When we went for breakfast on our first morning (also found on the 4th Floor), we were escorted to the dedicated dining area for gold and diamond members. In this area guests were served coffee at the table rather than having to get up and serve themselves.

Breakfast was presented in the usual buffet format but with some interesting food on offer. One morning there was a big bowl of onion sauce and chicken nuggets. Another morning there was a meat and pasta stew alongside Calabrese sausages.

There was also the option to have an omelette made at a dedicated station. For the first two mornings we just had coffee and orange juice. We wanted to save ourselves for sampling food whilst we were out and about.

On the third morning we requested a couple of fried eggs. We made toast at the self serve toaster. The butter as expected, was ridiculously hard and difficult to spread. It lay in small clumps until the warmth of the egg spurred it on to melt.

The eggs were perfectly cooked with a nice crispy bottom and a runny golden yolk.

The hotel also has an area on Copacabana beach, where they provide lounges, towels...

Here’s an in depth overview:

The Room: Clean. There’s a little sign for you to put on your door when you prefer privacy or service, surprisingly helpful. I ended up getting pretty sick and.. the room definitely needed to be cleaned and upon contacting the guest services, I was treated very kindly and everything was cleaned quickly after the call. I appreciate them a lot for that. -There’s a mini fridge in it. It has many options to drink. Saw a review saying they only had beer? Not true lol. They had water in it. It wasnt free. Though, I’ve never been to a hotel where the mini fridge items were free 🤷🏻‍♀️. If you’re really desperate, they do offer free water in the lobby. -Complaint: Any time the toilet was flushed, you could smell the sewage. It wasn’t horrible and only lasted a minute but still something. Though, that’s not really the hotels fault, I’m sure it has more to do with the plumbing layout of the building.

Restaurants/Pools: There’s two restaurants. Both by the pools on the lower level and on the rooftop. The pizza is from the rooftop, not recommended. But the drinks are good. Very nice vibe. The roof top pool is also temperature regulated. Warmer. There’s salmon is from the lower level pool. Better food there. But the pool is colder. In Brazils temperatures, it’s nice. Better option for families. I did also get breakfast. They have a nice buffet with plenty of options including a fruit bar, omelette station, options for Brazilian breads, and oatmeal station. They even have a separate area with gluten free options. -They have small jacuzzi’s and sauna rooms accessible for everyone. They also have a small gym.

Not necessarily pool or restaurant but the hotel does offer free towels, umbrellas, and chairs for the beach. Makes it so convenient that it’s hard to leave lol.

Safety/Location: They have security posted throughout the lobby and by the entrances. Once it gets late at night, I noticed they might ask for key cards before they let you go in. I appreciate the extra step of precaution. it is on the end of the beach. The view is gorgeous from there. I personally liked the location. It wasn’t in the center of the rush and craziness but it was still connected to it. Making it easy to enjoy the fun but also fall back and relax when it gets overwhelming.

Overall, the staff was excellent, the hotel was well maintained and clean, and I would definitely...