This blog post is the fourth entry in a 10-part series on traveling to Rio de Janiero. Click here to view the previous article.

Buying a plane ticket to Rio and getting your Visa is one thing.  Choosing where to stay is a whole different story. 

There are 4 main districts in Rio – Centro (Downtown), The South Zone, The North Zone, and Barra – each with its own, unique character.  The South Zone is the area where I stayed, also the most touristy area, and this zone is home to many of Rio’s most beautiful beaches.  The North Zone, in contrast, includes everything from the City Center inland.  The North Zone is Rio’s largest zone, however, it is also the most impoverished zone, home to many locals who commute in to Downtown, Barra, or the touristy beaches for work.  

But back to the beaches, because this was hands down my favorite part of Rio (and I’m sure the 5 million people who visit Rio’s beaches each year would agree).  I stayed in two different areas while in Rio – Ipanema and Copacabana (both beach cities) – and in my personal opinion, the beach cities are tourists’ best bet.  Above all, I’d recommend staying in Ipanema – not only is this city is the most popular location for tourists to hang out, thus there are more restaurants, shopping, and things to do, but the area also feels safer and classier.  Copacabana is a little cheaper, but it doesn’t feel quite as safe, and it can be pretty run down in certain parts.  But, Copacabana is also a little more “fun,” with more of a local vibe, so to speak, so it really just depends on what you are looking for.        

If you are looking specifically for nightlife, I’d recommend considering staying a few nights in Lapa as well, as this is the primary party destination.  You can, of course, take a cab over to Lapa and back on the evenings you want to go out, but if you’re mobile and don’t mind moving locations, you might as well just stay there.  The cab ride to Lapa is a good few miles, and sometimes it’s nice to not have to cab back.  

The hotel I stayed in for most of my trip is called the Ipanema Plaza, and considering the price (especially in comparison to the second hotel I stayed in) this place was a sure bet.  It was clean, accommodations were great, the service was superior, the complimentary continental breakfast was outstanding (really – check it out!) and wireless Internet was included in the price of the room.  The second hotel I stayed in was called Porto Bay in Copacabana.  Now, this hotel was pretty great too (definitely nicer than the first one) but considering the fact that it was more than double the price, I didn’t think it was all that worth it.  The rooms were definitely nicer and bigger, there was a great balcony and gorgeous view of the beach, the continental breakfast was the best I’ve ever seen, and you even had a free pair of flip-flops waiting for you in your room when you arrived!  On the contraire, they charged for everything (Internet was $40 a day, for one), and in comparison to the location of my first hotel, Porto Bay’s location was a pretty big downgrade (for me when I travel, location is the number 1 thing I look at).  There weren’t as many great restaurants, I missed the Lago Rodrigo de Freitas, and the area just did not feel as safe. 

If you really want classy, then the place you must check out is the Copacabana Palace – hands down the nicest hotel in the city of Rio de Janeiro.  This hotel was, coincidentally, right next door to the place I was staying in Copacabana.  Our tour guide even informed this that this was Miley Cyrus’s choice in lodging during her visit to Rio… in case that sways you any

One thing to keep in mind when traveling to Rio is that, for the most part, tourism is still developing.  You likely won’t find large rooms or lavish accommodations, and hotels that say they are 4 or 5 starts, probably are actually more like a 3.  There’s maybe only 1 or 2 true 5 star hotels.  Hotels in Rio aren’t held to a standard rating system like they are in the US, so they can give themselves whatever kind of start rating they want.  The newest and most modern hotels can be found in Barra, and as mentioned in previous posts, the city’s hotel occupancy rate is expected to double as the Olympics and World Cup events draw near.

Also, an interesting note to be aware of is that, when you get your bill you may (or may not) notice some odd fees -in addition to service and city taxes, hotel members of the Rio Convention and Visitors Bureau typically charge a fixed 3 – 9R optional tax to their customers.  Technically, they are supposed to go over this tax with you, but most hotels don’t.    You can opt out of this tax if you wish, but most people just go ahead and pay the fee (probably because they simply don’t know any better). 

And lastly, what would a post from me be without including a few budget-friendly options for the budget traveler?  I do have to offer one word of caution when researching hostels – there are a lot of not-so-great neighborhoods in Rio, so location is everything.  In other words, if you are a single female traveling alone (or even 2 or 3 single females) I would highly encourage you to consider researching less-expensive hotels instead of hostels.  That being said, though, here are a few hostel options I would recommend looking into: 

• Casa6ipanema – Though I did not personally stay here, a friend of mine did, and he loved it. He referred to it as a “community of hostels” and said it was a fun atmosphere with lots of people who were looking to have a good time.
• Mango Tree – Again, though I didn’t stay here, I have heard good things, and the location can’t be beat. It’s in a safe neighborhood, and only a few blocks from the beach.
• El Misti House – Now, this hostel I actually did stay in. It was okay. The accommodations were fine, nothing special, but it was in a pretty hidden, unsafe-feeling area, a little ways up from the beach. On the plus side, though, it was cheap, and there were was a great community feel with lots of things to do for people staying over.

Hope this helps, and stay tuned for ‘where not to stay’ coming next week.