SP & Rio Apr 2020

[Xperiel]

Hey guys, 

New here, thank you for all the great info. 

We are a 35yo couple planning our first holiday to Brasil for April 2020. 4 nights SP, 6 nights Rio. Still not sure this is the best way to divide the nights. 

Would like to get some personal hotel recommendations. We want to stay in safe, good value, high standard and hopefully luxury hotels. I think I understand the recommended area to stay in Rio is Ipanema and in SP near Avenida Paulista.  Can anyone recommend from personal experience hotels that are luxurious, central, safe, close to gay points of interests (bars, clubs, saunas, TheWeek, etc.). I think we prefer not lodging near the gay hustler saunas (117, Lagoa) since they are located far from other points of interest so we can take taxis to get there. We do need the hotel to be tolerant to Grindr hookups coming to visit, but I never had any issue with that in a 4-5 star hotel  anywhere else in the world so this is probably not an issue. 

Hotel estimated budget: SP 150 - 200 USD per night, RIO 200 - 250 USD per night. AirBNB is a less preferred option, we like 24 hour room service and daily housekeeping. 

Would love to get some specific hotel recommendations or general lodging advice.  

Thanks! 

[Tomcal]

Lagoa will not be where it is now by the time you get there!" they are closing(lost there 20 yr. + Lease) December 1st.

i think you will have more of a problem then you think bringing grindr hookups to high end Rio hotels...IMHO! that’s why over the years many of us long term Rio Travelers choose airbnb and prior to 2010 stayed at lower rated hotels.  

[Xperiel]

50 minutes ago, Tomcal said:

Lagoa will not be where it is now by the time you get there!" they are closing(lost there 20 yr. + Lease) December 1st.

Too bad, heard over the years good things about it. Will it be closed permanently or just relocated? 

51 minutes ago, Tomcal said:

i think you will have more of a problem then you think bringing grindr hookups to high end Rio hotels...IMHO! that’s why over the years many of us long term Rio Travelers choose airbnb and prior to 2010 stayed at lower rated hotels.  

Any specific suggestions about a good hotel/Apartment that has no problem with friends "visiting"? 

[Tomcal]

Lagoa is scheduled to reopen December 1st in a new location not in the same neighborhood where it is now! but things change so just check prior to leaving for SP! 

Again look thru Airbnb listing in the price range and style you like. There are two individual homes i use in SP. both great neighborhoods one has 3bed/3baths the other 2, i found them in Airbnb 2 years ago...and no i i am not giving out the info on them! did that once in Rio a couple years ago and couldn’t get the place when i wanted it because someone on this site had already booked it!  so you are on your own!

[Latbear4blk]

In my own little experience, any airbnb in a strip of 300/400 meters from the beach in Copacabana or Ipanema will be safe and you will be able to have visitors without answering any questions. All building usually have 24 hours staff, your visitors will be announced to you if you do not bring them, with no issues.

[SolaceSoul]

3 hours ago, Latbear4blk said:

In my own little experience, any airbnb in a strip of 300/400 meters from the beach in Copacabana or Ipanema will be safe and you will be able to have visitors without answering any questions. All building usually have 24 hours staff, your visitors will be announced to you if you do not bring them, with no issues.

This isn’t foolproof. When I have booked through AirBnB recently in Ipanema and Copa near Ipanema Beach, I encountered quite a few listings that restricted visitors. Of course, I did not stay at any of those places! The best advice is to, before booking: (1) review the house rules of each rental, and (2) contact the host to confirm the visitor policy. My personal policy is that if the visitor policy is not liberal enough for me, I won’t book. 

[Xperiel]

Thanks, I'll try and look for a nice apartment. 

Still, if anyone has any insights regarding about suitable luxury hotels, I would love to hear them. Thanks. 

[Latbear4blk]

7 hours ago, Xperiel said:

Thanks, I'll try and look for a nice apartment. 

Still, if anyone has any insights regarding about suitable luxury hotels, I would love to hear them. Thanks. 

I doubt anyone will be able to give you s better insight than @Tomcal's above. You should take it and forget about hotels.

[sfcastro]

9 hours ago, Xperiel said:

Thanks, I'll try and look for a nice apartment. 

Still, if anyone has any insights regarding about suitable luxury hotels, I would love to hear them. Thanks. 

If you want to stay at a reasonable higher end hotel in Sao Paulo, stay at the Intercontinental or Renaissance, both in the Paulista area and convenient to shopping and the subway.  If you want to bring in guests, plan on having the guests register at the front desk and be sure they have their Brazilian national ID card or drivers license to present as there is security in both of these hotels in the lobby who will direct guests to the front desk to register.

[axiom2001]

10 hours ago, Xperiel said:

Thanks, I'll try and look for a nice apartment. 

Still, if anyone has any insights regarding about suitable luxury hotels, I would love to hear them. Thanks. 

Xperiel, I read your post yesterday and hesitated to respond prior to those members who've visited Rio and Sao Paulo more than I.  

My response would have been the same as the men who've previously posted.  The hotel in Rio that we used and that did not frown upon our receiving guests (announced or unannounced) was not luxurious but comfortable.  But, during the past six or so years-- its policies have been altered; thus we visitors have rented a variety of apartments.

[Xperiel]

4 hours ago, sfcastro said:

If you want to stay at a reasonable higher end hotel in Sao Paulo, stay at the Intercontinental or Renaissance, both in the Paulista area and convenient to shopping and the subway.  If you want to bring in guests, plan on having the guests register at the front desk and be sure they have their Brazilian national ID card or drivers license to present as there is security in both of these hotels in the lobby who will direct guests to the front desk to register.

Thanks. I just booked them both and will decide on one of them a week before our arrival. They both look great. 

6 hours ago, Latbear4blk said:

I doubt anyone will be able to give you s better insight than @Tomcal's above. You should take it and forget about hotels.

 

3 hours ago, axiom2001 said:

Xperiel, I read your post yesterday and hesitated to respond prior to those members who've visited Rio and Sao Paulo more than I.  

My response would have been the same as the men who've previously posted.  The hotel in Rio that we used and that did not frown upon our receiving guests (announced or unannounced) was not luxurious but comfortable.  But, during the past six or so years-- its policies have been altered; thus we visitors have rented a variety of apartments.

OK thanks guys I'll try to find a nice apartment for rio. I don't see any that I fancy that are located at IPanema beach front. But I'll look more throughly as it seems that there is quite a consensus regarding hotel's strict policy of hosting in Rio. Thanks again for taking the time to write. 

[camsi1975]

For a first time visitor my personal recommendation would be to try and get a corporate rate at Copacabana palace in Rio for the experience (can get under $300) and save the sex for the saunas.  Similarly in São Paulo I would try and get a discounted rates at hotel unique. Just think you can get enough sex outside hotel and get best of both worlds. Outside luxury hotels I found beds in Airbnb’s and lower hotels to be quite hard and uncomfortable in general versus western options. But whatever route u take you willl have an an amazing time