Belmond Hotel das Cataratas

We stayed over the Christmas holiday so our experience may not be typical of the hotel’s ambience at other periods. Anyway, this is our experience and opinion. We stayed here for five nights after three nights at the Gran Melia over on the Argentine side of the Falls. Although the exterior of that hotel is rather brutal and a blot on the landscape there is no doubt in our minds that it’s a better place to stay than the Belmond. The Belmond is in a sort of faux colonial-style, heritage building that dates from the 1950s. The interiors and long corridors to the various accommodation wings are superbly designed and maintained. The odd thing is this: while the Gran Melia is totally focussed on the Falls, the Belmond turns its back on them. The front terraces have a view of the road and the endless flocks of tourists who arrive by the bus-load. The falls are behind that. Few rooms have proper views or proper balconies. I think your choice of room can have a major impact on your stay here. We opted for the entry level ‘superior’ room. Bigger than we feared, smaller than we hoped, the room was a challenge to deal with ergonomically and failed to reflect current travel requirements. Only one power socket for instance and that needed a special adapter from the hotel - the only time in our six hotels in South America that we needed such a thing. A tiny table. Cramped tea-making facility in a cupboard. Chipped and grotty wardrobe. Few hangers. You get the picture. Nice 1950s decor, though, good air-con and the bathroom was perfectly OK, better in fact than the one at the Gran Melia. Our room lacked any kind of view. Servicing of the room was erratic and sometimes non-existent. The lobby and the gorgeous adjoining lounges were often full of people. Noise levels were high, mountains of luggage were lying about. It all resembled a railway station. The garden is lovely but lacks proper seating so one is forced to sit in one of the bar terraces or by the pool. The terrace in front of the fancy Y restaurant offers superb views of the buses. There is a large pool here, swarming with butterflies and, indeed, guests. There are no outdoor jacuzzis which one has every right to expect at this price level these days. Looking at the pool and the architecture of the building, you could just as well be in a resort in Southern California. There is also little peace and quiet because of the ever circling sightseeing helicopters; sometimes it felt like being on the set of Apocalypse Now. We only ate in the restaurant by the pool. There is a sort of ‘fine dining’ restaurant but these days we find fancy-fussy Michelin-starred chefs easy to resist. In the main restaurant there is a buffet every night with a great choice of hot and cold dishes though we thought the steaks on offer were second-rate. Breakfasts here were world class. This is not a quiet, exclusive retreat. It is, however, the only option if you truly to want to see the Brazilian side of the Iguassu Falls before the park gates open. Our walks started at 6.30am and were unforgettable.

My daughter and I travelled to South America (Chile, Peru, Argentina and Brazil) We decided to stay three nights/four days at the Hotel Das Cataratas and we were NOT disappointed. The Hotel is situated in the park itself and is only accessible via the hotels shuttle service. We stayed in Junior suite (with 2 twin beds). The room was lovely, spacious, tastefully decorated and spotless clean. We had a welcome cake and drink. Our package included breakfast which was amazing. We visited the Falls every morning, and evening. What a great experience. We saw so many animals and insects. We even went one late morning when the crowds arrive which created queues you would not believe and yet if wasn’t the high season. One night we did the Lunar Rainbow experience at full moon (this was an additional cost) Early morning and after 5.00pm when the gates closed we could walk at our own pace and was so peaceful. At sunset we were given a glass of bubbles to sit and enjoy whilst watching the sun go down. Every staff member we dealt with was friendly and very helpful. My daughter and I had cocktails every night at the bar overlooking the falls. The second morning we visited the Parque das Aves (Bird Park) which is located at the entrance to the Iguaçu National. This I recommend On the last day my daughter and I spent the morning biking through the park along the concrete bike path then took a path through the bush. Oh my gosh we heard so many animals, saw an armadillo and a sign stating what to do if you come across a jaguar. What an amazing time spent. The only regrettable thing was that we could not stay a couple of extra days as we had already planned our itinerary An unforgettable stay.

Hotel Das Cataratas is a must place to stay if you are planning for an exclusive and comfortable visit to the Iguazu Fall. We visited the Fall after its closing hour, at around 5pm. We could walk at our own pace, and take pictures at a relaxed mood with all angles covered. And there's no worries about transport within the park. The hotel has shuttle service to pick us up. Back to the hotel, I'd say Belmont represents the highest standard in quality and service. Everyone in the hotel from receptionists to waiters, bell boys and cleaning ladies are super friendly and they will try their best to accommodate your needs. Highly recommend to stay in the room with a Fall view where there's only 11 of them. The restaurants are good too. With a 2 night stay, we tried the 2 restaurants of the hotel, tasting menu at the Y restaurant and the dinner buffet in the main one We loved Y and it's so far the best one we had after we landed in Rio. Chef made creative presentation of Brazilian cuisine with a modern twist. The staff said the chef was a newly hired with a 2 Michelin star. Also want to compliment on the wine list. It has lots of choices including local wines at reasonable price. We also enjoyed the dinner buffet with lots of veggies, quality barbeque, and the freshly baked pizzas are definitely a highlight. Breakfast quality is good too where you can taste made to order dishes from European and Brazilian options. Rooms are clean with complimentary water, Nespresso and mini bar. I really love the mini bar as they offer you choices of different drinks from sparkling water to juices, ice tea and beer. My special thanks to Carol, Emmanuel and everyone in the reception. Thanks for giving us water and rain coat to go out, and on top, a late check out since our flight was 4pm. Last but not least, remember to walk up the hotel tower to enjoy a spectacular view and selfie.

Despite receiving a written confirmation from the manager offering a room upgrade and an amenity gift due to repeated reservation errors, the front desk refused to honor this upon check-in. Furthermore, the bathtub was clogged. The overall service and facilities fell far short of five-star standards and did not justify the rate charged.

This is one of those iconic hotels in the world. The Iguazu falls just a few yards away, the wonderfully pink building. The very polite and attentive staff, excellent food in the ¥ restaurant and bars, as well as other amenities, such as tennis court, excellent pool and spa