Where to stay in Rio
If you’re coming to Rio for a holiday, finding a place to stay can be tricky. If you want something cheap then you’ll probably start looking on the various hostel search websites and soon you’ll discover that “cheap” is a relative term! A bed in a dorm in Ipanema will set you back around R$50 (US$25) per night.
Further up the pecking order you’ll find pousadas (guest houses). These vary enormously, from basic to boutique. There are some real gems out there so if you’re looking for something with personality, this would be my recommendation. I’m no expert on accommodation in Rio (I live here!), but there is one pousada I can definitely recommend because it’s where Mrs Eat Rio and I got married!
Casa Áurea in Santa Teresa. Ahhh, happy memories of our big day!
When we get to the hotels, I start to run out of ideas. A few of my friends have stayed in ‘business’ hotels in Ipanema and Leblon and found them to be bland and really expensive. One hotel however, stands in a class of its own.
Copacabana Palace
In terms of history and prestige, this place is the ultimate! Built during Rio’s 1920s heyday, the beautiful Art Deco building once dominated views of Copacabana beach and was visited by foreign dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth II, various US Presidents and also Hollywood royalty, from Errol Flynn and Clarke Gable to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
You might think that it’s a modern phenomenon that hotels are banning celebrities for their outrageous antics, but way back in 1939, Errol Flynn decided to dance naked through the main hall and just 3 years after that, Orson Welles carried out the first recorded celebrity hotel room trashing by chucking all his furniture out of the window and into the pool below!
Opened in 1923, this is one seriously impressive building. Sadly the other seafront buildings that were built in the following decades were not designed in the same grandiose style.
Despite its ugly neighbours, Copacabana Palace still retains its regal charm and continues to attract the rich and famous. It was very nearly demolished in the 1980s but was thankfully saved at the last minute and is now a protected building.
Of course not everyone can afford the Copacabana Palace (I know I can’t!). If you really want to save money then one final accommodation option I haven’t mentioned yet is couch surfing. Staying for free on a stranger’s sofa sounds great to some people and absolutely terrifying to others! I guess it’s not for everyone, but I’ve met a lot of people who say that it’s not only a great way to save money but also a brilliant way to meet locals and break away from the tourist trail.
With the steady stream of visitors I have visiting me here in Rio (I was never this popular when I lived in London!), I don’t always have room for everyone, so I thought it would be useful to start building up a list of recommended places. Do you have any personal recommendations for places to stay in Rio?
We recently stayed at Santa View in Santa Teresa, which we found on airbnb. It is an old colonial villa, which has been converted into four apartments, and we loved it. It is exactly as it looks on the website. If you like quirky, are not after luxury, and want an interesting location away from the madding crowds, this place is perfect. And the owners are among the nicest people you could hope to meet.
Can I also take the opportunity to thank you for your brilliant blog! I discovered it while researching our recent visit to Rio for my nephew’s wedding (a Brit who has married a carioca). Thanks to you, we avoided the priority queue in the supermarket, we ate bolinhos de feijão at Bar do Gomes, knew how to buy a ticket on the metro, nearly climbed Dois Irmãos (we ran out of time, but my nephew has since been on our recommendation) and much, much more. We learnt an awful lot on what to expect in Rio and what makes the city tick. Without a doubt, you enhanced our visit. We will remain regular readers in anticipation of a future visit.
Kind regards
Sheila
PS: Just as soon as the Polvilho Azedo that I’ve ordered online in the UK arrives, I’ll be using your recipe to make pão de queijo.
Wow Shelia! I’m going to print your message off and frame it! What a lovely thing to hear :)
Being resident of Santa Teresa myself, I’m very interested to hear about Santa View – I’ll check them out for sure. The photos make it look nice and homey.
Let me know how you get on with the Pão de Queijo recipe. Mrs Eat Rio always tells me to add a little extra salt, but she is a saltaholic, so you may not agree! Thanks again for your message – that put a huge smile on my face!
You know it’s being touted that the England squad are gonna stay at Copacabana Palace in 2014 if they qualify!
Let’s not count our chickens GFE! ;)
I’ve been very fortunate and had the pleasure of staying at Copacabana Place back in the late 90s when my parents came to Brazil to visit me. It is absolutely gorgeous!!! Have you seen the Brazil episode of An Idiot Abroad yet? Some interesting sleeping arrangements featured :)
Ah, you’re so lucky! I’d love to have a look round – the photos on the website look amazing.
Don’t laugh, but I’ve never seen An Idiot Abroad. But I am very well aware of Gervais, Merchant and Karl Pilkington. Looking at the dates it was broadcast, it all happened while I was being an idiot abroad myself. ;) I will have to check it out.
You must check out the show! At least watch the Brazilian episode. Hilarious! You should be able to find a free link on the Internet :)
On the case! 8-)
I don’t have a specific recommendation, but I know of a website where in my opinion, and I am on the miserly side, some pretty good deals can be found. It is http://www.homeaway.com. What it is is privately owned properties, that the owners rent out part or all of the year. Most of them are fully furnished, right down to linens and complete kitchens, and the guest just brings their clothes and personal stuff. You interact directly with the property owner. Especially during the non high season (March-October), some nice deals for well located completely comfortable accomodations can be found. The last time I used it, was the first 2 weeks of July 2012. It was a 1 bedroom apartment,in Barra da Tijuca, right on Sernambitiba, 10th floor with a spectacular ocean view, completely furnished, underground garage parking, nice exercise room with a gigantic steam sauna, as secure as Fort Knox. For 80 reals a night. A minha esposa e eu were totally happy with it. I am coming back to Rio in April for a couple weeks to take care of some property and tax business, and some immigration stuff, and this time I am going to stay in a place in Lapa (all my business is in centro), that I booked from homeaway, and I think it is a great deal. I have looked at listings for most of the other Rio bairros, and it seems that some good deals can be found wherever a person wants to stay. In other cities (Natal, Recife, Floripa) as well.
Ooh, nice tip Carlos! The business hotels I’ve seen here have been really impersonal and boring. Staying in the kind of place you mention sounds much nicer (and much cheaper!).