brall3 Posted August 31, 2017 Posted August 31, 2017 Aside from the very old and not well maintained Atlantico hotel, can anyone recommend other gay friendly hotels? The hotel staff where I am currently staying is indifferent toward gays. Twice they stopped and questioned my companion who is registered at the hotel. When I inquired about this, they focused on "hotel security": POR FAVOR. For 2 days I intentionally sat in the lobby to watch people entering the hotel. A few times I saw guys arrive with obvious female prostitutes (one guy came in twice with different girls) and no one said a damn thing to them. To think we still have to go through this kind of crap in 2017. I wish to change hotels. Again I am very familiar with the Atlantico, no need to refer it. Any recommendations on OTHER hotels? Quote
Guest bobbalino Posted August 31, 2017 Posted August 31, 2017 Your question is confusing. If they are centering out gay men for questioning, then they are NOT indifferent. It sounds like they are indifferent to man-woman accompaniment. When you say 'registered', regarding your companion, do you mean to your room? Does he have a key? If you have a male date companion swinging by unaccompanied to go up to the room, I can understand their vetting process. Personally, I would see that as erring on the side of caution, and if done politely ... However, if you are coming in together and he had already been registered/vetted I can understand your annoyance. Though the staff change shifts and this vetting is not uncommon in mainstream hotels. Carrying one's key or card visibly is one way to demonstrate legitimacy. Before switching from hotels to airbnb I just rolled with it. I always thought that protesting would simply draw more attention than either side wants. And I did not get any vibe suggesting they were throwing shade and that I needed to exercise my gay rights. Believe me, the hotels want rainbow business. Quote
brall3 Posted August 31, 2017 Author Posted August 31, 2017 To clarify; when the guy and I initially arrived at the hotel together, we BOTH registered at the front desk. We reveived 2 keys, one key for each of us. Like many hotels, after you enter the room, one key is placed into a slot to activate the electricity. We left the hotel together and went to eat; taking only one key with us. The other key was still in the hotel room in the slot for electricity. I returned to the hotel alone with the one key. Later when he returned to the hotel, he did not have the second key because the key was still in the hotel room. As he approached the hotel elevator, the hotel doorman, who was standing inside the hotel, stopped my friend, questioned him and directed him to the front deck located directly in front of the elevators. Since there appears to be some confusion with my choice of words, I will rephrase my comment made on the original post. The hotel staff appears to treat gay guests registered at the hotel DIFFERENTLY from registeted guests who may not be gay. I am not looking for my posts to be analyzed one way or another, I am ONLY asking for any suggestions on gay friendly hotels in Rio. If anyone is confused about my request, just ignore it. But if you has a suggestion for a gay friendly hotel, please share the information. Also I am familiar with the Atlantico hotel and not interested in Airbnb. I hope this additional information will help. Quote
brall3 Posted August 31, 2017 Author Posted August 31, 2017 For information only: the front desk clerk was asking for a guest registration fee of $50 (yes, dollars) all in the name of "hotel security" of course. I am wondering if the concern is really for security or just another way to get money. This information is just for laughts and NOT FOR COMMENTS . Quote
Guest KevinC Posted August 31, 2017 Posted August 31, 2017 I have never registered my male companions at hotel or Airbnb, many of my companions are with me for only a couple hours. I am not sure why, but I have never been stopped or questioned by hotel staff/security or apartment doorman in Brazil when I bring in male companions. Some of my companions look quite obvious. However I always book my rooms for 2 adults , just in case. I usually stay at 4+ star hotel or Airbnb. Quote
Members msclelovr Posted August 31, 2017 Members Posted August 31, 2017 I stayed at the Ipanema Plaza when I was accompanied by a blond, muscled Argentine who was 20 years younger than me. We were treated in a friendly fashion there. Late one afternoon, on coming back from the beach together, we did see a man stopped by security before the elevators. He was with a rather luridly and scantily dressed female. He was asked to register his 'guest' at reception before proceeding. Having spent a lot of time travelling in Latin America, I appreciate the security of having strangers registered, and their identity checked, by the hotel before they go to a room. I have heard of various violent incidents where guests managed to evade security and were then robbed by their newly-met companions. floridarob 1 Quote
Guest bobbalino Posted August 31, 2017 Posted August 31, 2017 The added info (helpful) suggests the incident was male-profiling, not gay profiling. The woman who is ostensibly sex trade did not enter alone without a key. Apples and oranges. I can recommend the next closest hotel in the area, whatever it is, but no guarantee that a guest won't have to run the gauntlet at reception. Additionally, Hotel Alameda and Lovetime Hotel, both in Gloria, are places I have taken male escorts for sex ... in and out. I say this for context, analogous but not equal to your situation. The staff know that is my purpose. They double as regular hotels. Personally, I would expect and accept that the staff there filter an entrant's purpose in the same vein as occurred with your friend. But it is important that you feel comfortable, brall, according to your personal threshold of what constitutes discrimination. Good luck. Quote
Members likeohmygod Posted August 31, 2017 Members Posted August 31, 2017 I 've never had a problem with hotel staff, and while there's not a lot of age difference between me and the guys i bring inside, it was quite obvious that the ton of different guys who came in my room for 2 hours or so, during my 21 days stay, was there just for "fun". Just be sure to book a big 4 or more stars hotel (check how many rooms they have) which has very good reviews. I've never been twice in the same hotel in Rio...i've been in all the Ibis, Royal Regency Palace, Slaviero, Rede Atlantico (but not the old and crappy one)...never had problems at all. Just walked through the hotel's main door, talking to the guy and raising my hand to say hi to the staff at the reception. As bobbalino said, try to keep your room key visible, you won't get questioned. Quote
Members asdsrfr Posted August 31, 2017 Members Posted August 31, 2017 I found the security at the Ipanema Plaza to be a bit overbearing at times. I don't know what their current policy is but in the past unless you registered your guest at the beginning of the trip they would stop you on the way in and make you go to the reception to register your new friend and pay an additional fee(even if you had booked a double room). For each new guest there would be another fee. The security seemed to have a very good memory of who you had left the hotel with and they were good at spotting new visitors. I have had friends stay at high end hotels in Rio--the Copacabana Palace comes to mind as one--where they have been refused entry with a new guest--despite offering to register them--so I am not sure that booking a nicer hotel would necessarily be any better. I think the reasons hotels do this is in part security, and in part to prevent a flow of obvious prostitutes, male or female from coming in and out. I always rent an apartment now and even though many have doormen that will give your guest a quick look on the way in I have never been stopped. Quote
Guest bobbalino Posted August 31, 2017 Posted August 31, 2017 Sorry, brall, for the thread hijacking, but it is pertinent. Generally, hotels allow for 2 doc-vetted registrants per room, no additional charge for 12 and under. The 2 registrants, logically, remain the 2 people for the duration, unless common sense or circumstances dictate a change. It is their prerogative to refuse or to bill for visitors. Sometimes they turn a blind eye. Inconsistent enforcement among various establishments does not justify misattributions of unfairness where the rule of law is applied. But It is your prerogative to critique on Tripadvisor, etc. Cots for kids may be billed ... in the same vein, visitors may incur additonal cost for linens and other amenities such as fitness gym, pool etc. So many deck chairs, so many bona fide guests. My advice for hotel stays: expect the higher-order enforcement while quietly high-five-ing yourself if and when slipping thru the cracks. In the OP case, it is a legit registered guest who was screened re-entering the hotel. I say: roll with it; be friendly and accommodating while allowing the hotel to do their job. And be careful about prematurely misappropriating enforcement as evidence of homonegativity. Quote
Tomcal Posted August 31, 2017 Posted August 31, 2017 Thats why for the last 10 years i have stayed in Apts in Rio! No hassles no problems! I love Airbnb! floridarob, axiom2001 and SolaceSoul 3 Quote
floridarob Posted September 2, 2017 Posted September 2, 2017 On 8/31/2017 at 2:00 PM, Tomcal said: Thats why for the last 10 years i have stayed in Apts in Rio! No hassles no problems! I love Airbnb! Imagine if you stayed at hotels that charged for extra guests.....what would that bill be like,lol msclelovr 1 Quote
Members likeohmygod Posted September 2, 2017 Members Posted September 2, 2017 I think i should give airbnb a try axiom2001 1 Quote
Guest bobbalino Posted September 2, 2017 Posted September 2, 2017 9 hours ago, floridarob said: Imagine if you stayed at hotels that charged for extra guests.....what would that bill be like,lol Hotel Étoiles GéORGY V Jardins, Sao Paulo Quote
brall3 Posted September 4, 2017 Author Posted September 4, 2017 Many thanks to the guys who replied with "hotel suggestions". That and only that is what I was looking for. Quote
Members axiom2001 Posted September 4, 2017 Members Posted September 4, 2017 On 8/31/2017 at 0:00 PM, Tomcal said: Thats why for the last 10 years i have stayed in Apts in Rio! No hassles no problems! I love Airbnb! While I read the posts prior to your chiming in here-- I thought: where is TomCal. What you wrote came to mind. That's why I rented an apartment the last time of my visit to Rio. Hope Brall can get his answer, but from what you wrote in the past-- our staying at hotels seemingly has become more problematic than necessary. Stay in apartments, take laundry out (if necessary), eat in venues frequented by the locals; adopt certain facets of living as a local. Continue to enjoy Brasil and all of its offerings! ferrar 1 Quote
Members Lucky Posted September 5, 2017 Members Posted September 5, 2017 For many, unfortunately, the term "gay-friendly" is short hand for allowing tricks to the room. I do not see that as the issue in the OP's question here though. My husband and I are staying in Brazil together at a hotel. We are both registered, and when a key went missing, he went to the desk, showed his ID, and obtained a new key with no hassle. We haven't tried to bring a sex partner to the room as I believe that firecat is not in Brazil. Absent him, we stick to the guys at the sauna. Quote
