Beachside Relaxation at Marriott Rio De Janeiro

October 19, 2016 Margalit Sturm Francus

Last month, while visiting the beautiful Brazillian capital of Rio, we stayed at the JW Marriott Rio De Janeiro. The five-star property, located at 2600 Avenida Atlântica in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, contains approximately 245 rooms and suites and faces the famous Copa beach front.

We chose to stay at this hotel for both safety and location reasons. After hearing stories of security challenges in the Brazillian capital, we wanted to make sure that we stayed in an upscale spot that was filled with tourists and well guarded by the police. Moreover, since this was our first time and we had heard about Copa beach, we wanted to experience it firsthand by staying nearby.

What Makes it Family Worthy?

The hotel is close to several shopping areas and a fifteen-minute drive to major shopping malls in Rio, as well as various eateries along Avenida Atlantica. This establishment is a short walk away from the famous Copacabana Beach, and a private section of the beach is reserved for Marriott guests. The local subway station is likewise only a few blocks from the building.

Fellow Travelers

This hotel mainly hosts vacationers, solo couples, and families that wish to be close to the beach and enjoy the waterfront.

Décor

The spotlessly clean public areas of this building had darkly hued neutral colors enhanced by elegant touches of metallic colors. Patterned chairs and carpets in other sections of the hotel gave the building additional “old world” pizazz.

Welcome

Because of the safety concerns, I had called the front desk and asked for a hotel limo to pick us up at the airport. Somehow, the order was lost. After realizing the mishap, we ended up booking a cab straight from the airport when we arrived at night, which sped on the freeway like a bat out of hell. It got so bad that we were all praying to get to the hotel in one piece since the driver did not pay attention to our pleas to slow down. When we finally arrived, the personal was apologetic and checked us in as soon as they could. The hotel also sent us a small welcome dessert plate as an apology, which we thought was a nice touch.

Room

We stayed in connecting rooms on the 16th floor, 1620 and 1618. Both rooms had excellent views overlooking the beach area.

The cozy rooms contained fluffy pillows and comfortable bedding. The furnishings in both rooms were similar, with the only significant difference being that one had two double beds and the other featured a king sized bed.

The nightstands in each room held an alarm clock, a phone, and some complimentary bottled waters. There were also lamps over the beds with several electrical outlets near the nightstands that were excellent places to recharge both our phones and our I-pods. We were grateful that, as Marriott Gold members, we were provided free wifi.

One of the main perks of staying at this particular Marriott was the copious amount of storage space provided for us. Both our rooms had well-lit, wooden paneled closets that contained irons, hangers, and bathrobes for our use. A large cabinet that also housed the in-room safe was provided to hold even more of our personal belongings. There was a small foldable luggage rack in the room as well, but we had plenty of places to put our gear and didn’t even need to use it.

The rooms had a desk area with a large chair and well as a small sitting area with a lovely armchair and footrest. Hotel guests should also take note of the coffee making supplies and large LCD televisions provided in the rooms.

Bathroom

The bathroom was fairly standard for the Marriott and contained the usual amenities of soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotions. The room’s walls were in hues of brown with speckled granite tile floor that matched the sink and countertop. There was a combination shower/bathtub with a curtain and a grab bar.

Amenities

The hotel has a 24-hour reception desk. It also is home to an especially detail oriented concierge service that has won several international awards. However, we commend the professional staff at the Marriott Rio for their stellar service and the way they accommodated our son with autism.

Patrons who tire of going to the beach may want to check out the hotel’s rooftop swimming pool instead, or book treatments at the luxurious onsite spa. Those trying to stay fit will be happy to know that the hotel has a gym overlooking the nearby beach so those exercising can do some “people watching” while on the various machines.

Should hunger strike, travelers can dine at one of the two onsite restaurants for some delicious snacks or Italian grub.

Executive Lounge

The executive lounge at this particular Marriott is fabulous. From the incredible breakfast spread that it offered with colorful fresh cut up fruit to the elaborate happy hour, we never went hungry. The Happy Hour had so many different appetizers and complimentary drinks to choose from that we never made it to a sit-down dinner in the city.

On the day we stopped by, the lounge staff was serving a vast assortment of finger foods and sandwiches. Those with heartier appetites had the option of enjoying spicy chicken soup or stew and rice. A large tray of bread served to round out the repast.

The executive lounge also provided to go breakfasts and snacks, which is an unusual feature for these lounges. We loved the fact that even if we took an early morning tour, the lounge supplied us with a boxed breakfast to go.

Autism Travel Tips:

The room bathtub has grab bars, but bath mats are not provided so travelers should pack their own.
The rooms have thick drapes that do a good job blocking out the light. Therefore, light sensitive individuals should not worry about getting plenty of sleep.
The hotel is not pet-friendly, so allergy sufferers need not worry about pet dander in the rooms.
Although it has incredible views of the Copa beach, the room windows are small and do not open.
There is no lifeguard at the pool. Because of this, visitors need to be watchful if their kid can’t swim.
If your kid is an escape artist, ask for a room that doesn’t face the atrium since it can be dangerous if they lean over.