Windsor Guanabara Hotel

The Windsor Guanabara is a massive hotel with over 500 guest rooms but slightly smaller common spaces. The lobby is dimly lit and set with generic looking office furniture like rounded armchairs, small black sofas, and marble-topped coffee tables. Everything looks clean and is in good condition. The restaurant has tightly packed tables topped with white tablecloths. Paintings of Brazilian landscapes hang on the walls. The majority of guests here are business travelers, due to the many meeting rooms on-site. Leisure travelers may find it too far from the beach to be a good option. 

The hotel is located in the heart of the city center, called the Centro. As it's mainly a commercial area, it's busy and bustling during the day and quiet in the evenings. At night, guests should pay attention to their surroundings and avoid walking in narrow, dark alleys. The Centro offers both modern buildings and Colonial-period cobblestone streets with beautiful historic mansions. The neighborhood has excellent dining options and a lively bar scene. Busy Avenida Presidente Vargas runs in front of the hotel. Just 200 meters away from the hotel is one of the most beautiful churches in Rio de Janeiro, the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Candelaria, a popular wedding venue for Rio's rich and famous. Galeão International Airport can be reached in 50-minutes by taxi, and the domestic airport of Santos Dumont in about 15 minutes. 

The Windsor Guanabara offers 542 rooms in five different categories: Standard, Superior, Deluxe, Junior Suites, and Executive suites. The hotel is updating its rooms floor-by-floor to give a fresher look. Room decor is quite typical for a mid-range hotel in Rio: warm pastel colors and fabrics, wood laminate floors, and truly ugly bedspreads and curtains that look straight out of the 80s. All rooms offer a writing desk and a 40-inch LCD-TV, stocked minibar, and safe. The bathrooms are reasonably sized, particularly the shower areas. Each is equipped with a hairdryer and basic toiletries. Executive suites have large bathrooms with a whirlpool and a sauna. Wi-Fi is free in all of the rooms. 

The Windsor Guanabara provides features that appeal to business clients. It has 38 different size meeting rooms, a business center, and free Wi-Fi throughout. A free hot breakfast with eggs made-to-order, is served each morning. The restaurant also serves buffets for lunch and dinner along with a la carte options. There's an adjacent bar for cocktails. Room service is available 24-hours a day. Upstairs, a small plunge pool has views of the Guanabara Bay. A fitness center and sauna are nice perks.

The front desk staff speak both Portuguese and English and can organize city tours or tickets to football games or samba shows. The hotel offers parking for a fee. In addition, laundry and dry-cleaning services are available.