Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana

We recently stayed at the hotel for 4 nights. The hotel was great and in particular, the Gold Lounge was excellent. Our stay however was spoilt by billing issues which left us out of pocket. Our stay was booked as part of a tour with the accommodation all pre-paid. When we checked in, we were asked for a credit card so assumed this was for incidentals but it appears they pre-authorised the full room rate plus more. On checkout, we were given the bill and found it included the room charges. We pointed out this was wrong. They checked and the bill was corrected. We settled the much smaller bill and were told a copy would be e-mailed to us. The next day, we were alerted to the fact that we were close to our credit card limit and consequently were not able to use it. We could not understand why this was the case. On checking, we found that not only had the hotel charged us the correct amount but also there was a second charge for the full room rate, presumably taken under the pre-authorisation transaction. We immediately contacted the hotel but on receiving no reply, had to chase. Eventually, they confirmed there had been an error and that we would be refunded. When the refund came through almost a week later it was almost £26 less than the amount taken in error, presumably because of fluctuating exchange rates. My messages to the hotel pointing this out have so far been ignored. Our lovely tour company (Trailfinders) has kindly offered to reimburse us. Will use Trailfinders again but would not stay at a Fairmont hotel. Our tip - carefully check credit card pre-authorisations and charges and do not assume errors are corrected.

Great moment.food is amazing and service professional. Spécial Thanks to Mr Murino, the waiter Who follows very Well his tables ans the clients we are during lunch.

From the moment you walk into the Fairmont Rio de Janeiro, you’ll understand what true hospitality feels like — and that’s largely thanks to Daniel Medeiros at the front desk. Daniel doesn’t just check you in — he takes care of you from beginning to end. He is the kind of professional who turns a stay into an experience. Whether it’s making sure your room is perfect, handling every reservation with ease, or checking in to ensure you’re comfortable, Daniel does it all with genuine kindness and grace. He even took the time to teach me Portuguese (with patience and humor!) and went completely out of his way to arrange a beautiful birthday celebration for my husband. What makes Daniel truly exceptional is that everything he does comes from the heart. He’s incredibly professional, personable, and heartfelt — the kind of person who goes above and beyond without ever making it feel like a task. His English, which he impressively taught himself, allows him to connect seamlessly with international guests, and you can feel how much pride he takes in making everyone feel at home. In a city known for its warmth and rhythm, Daniel somehow manages to outshine even Rio’s sunshine. He doesn’t just work on the service side — he becomes your friend. Fairmont, hold on tight to this one — he’s the real magic behind the front desk!

The room is clean and the bed pretty comfortable, but no view to speak of and pretty dark. The staff is generally friendly and helpful. As a business and a higher end hotel, however, it has a way to go. There is no desk in the room. The internet is maddening: in the evenings it drops every other minutes. The poolside service was poor: waited forever for anyone to take order. There is only one restaurant, which is surprising for a hotel of this size. There is a beach club across the street that does service food, which the concierge doesn't even bother to tell you about unless you know to ask. The room service, however, is available 24 hours and does come within 30 minutes. The check-in experience was full of errors. I had made pre-arrival bedding requests, which were acknowledged (“We have noted your preference…”) by email. When I arrived, what I requested were not in the room. When I asked reception, I was told there was no notation. I showed them the email, they said housekeeping will come fix it. Waited a half hour, no one came. Called reception, no answer. Went down to reception, they called housekeeping and learned that apparently they had made the bed according to my request, but I was given the wrong room when I checked in. My choices were to either repack everything I had just unpacked to move to the “right” room, or to wait some more for housekeeping to set up in the room I was in. The “right” room was on a higher floor, so I chose that option even though it was a pain. Once I got into the right room, the bed was indeed made exactly as I had requested. However, there was a hand-written welcome note (along with complimentary fruit basket and water) addressed to someone else. So, someone else either was missing her welcome gifts, or saved from being surprised by the bedding I had requested. I brought the welcome note to the front desk to let them know: they just shrugged their shoulders as if this was perfectly normal.

Hard to think of a better position to enjoy the view over Copacabana beach and de Sugar Loaf in the beackground. Rooms with sea views are spectacular. Generous and excellent breakfast, with wonderful view on th beack. The staff is frinedly and helpful. One of those places that, if you can afford it, is worth visiting.