Hotel Fasano Rio De Janeiro

The hotel's location in Rio de Janiero is great, which was a relief as the concierge offered to send an armoured car for our transfer from the airport (no kidding !). Great spot for Ipanema Beach, the Fort, the Sunday Hippy Market, restaurants and shopping and walking distance to the lagoon and Copacabana. On the Sunday morning of our stay the roads along Ipanema and Copacabana beaches were closed to traffic, and we join a great crowd of runners and cyclists getting some exercise in the sun. The design aesthetic throughout is quite pleasing. The rooftop pool is lovely, though overrun with Instagrammers (ok - that's like the free entertainment) and aspiring high-rollers trying to get noticed. The gym was spectacularly well equipped, and the concierge team were helpful when I asked for advice on booking an excursion across the city.

My wife and I were initially given a first floor room that had a nasty smell, a noisy AC unit, and bedsheets that were damp. Welcome to the Leading Hotels of the World (Not !). We spoke to 4 members of staff, who all confirmed the problem, yet still waited over an hour before being offered another room on the same floor, and a complimentary treatment in the spa (which we were were later charged for). Our sleep was disturbed by noise from the beach and the road outside during every night of our stay. It transpires (having spoken with one of the customer service managers) that all of the rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors are blighted in this way. I really object to paying as much as the Fasano charge, and not getting a decent night's sleep. There are so many members of staff working in this hotel, you might imagine it should make for great customer experience. But the staff in reception pass the buck; the maid wouldn't let us enter our room one afternoon (we went to the rooftop bar to wait till she released our room and our stuff); and the army of waiting staff around the rooftop bar and pool have a tendency to ignore mere mortals and focus their attention on wealthier customers. You can tip and tip again, you can pay the exhorbitant additional charge for breakfast, and you can smile and pass the time with the many members of staff who will enquire about your day. But you may well find yourself paying five star money for a much poorer service.