i've stayed in this hotel for 2 night in a deluxe ocean view. the best thing about this hotel is the terrace on the top of it with a splendid view over all ipanema beach. its in a great location just at the ipanema beach but in a few minutes u can walk to copacabana aswell. staff very friendly and helpful. eventhough theres a big street between hotel and beach its very quiet because there r good windows. rooms simple but stylish. big marble bathrom with separated WC. liked big window from the shower to the bedroom. ur getting havaianas flip flops as a gift. the interior of the hotel is very modern (i think philippe starck). prices at the pool bar were ok for a 5star hotel. rooms were very clean only there was a hand print on the wall (?). the breakfast was pretty small but the important things were there or u could order them. but it was very well priced (i paid 15 usd but booked through travel agent). the gym was small aswell but the important machines were there and free mineral water and bars. one evening the air condition didnt work but when we came back from clubbing it was fixed.

This is a beautiful hotel.. there's no way you can pretend its not. I love the F in SP and this is better. It is though outrageously overpriced. The location is amazing. Pretty much on Posto 8 on the border of Arpador and Ipanema-. I come to Rio a lot not on a budget and know the hotels here and this is the all round best to me. One of the key reasons being its location is almost perfect . V V safe --by Rio standards-- and none of the drama you can get outside of the Copacabana Palace any time of the day or night. Staff are generally great. And the drivers if you need them are universally top notch. And ALL the staff on the rooftop bar are great. So..why break my purdah on reviews for a while? Some of the many downsides--space means I can not list them all: 1) I have paid more than $2000 a night here now for a suite for 2 weeks on 2 separate stays and have not once been able to get into the London Bar in the hotel due to private functions at the time you'd actually want to go there. Which incidentally I find utterly outrageous but which when I am here am too busy to make a fuss about. But to be honest it enough to not come back. 2) The room service menu (which I have to use because can not get into the bar...) and service is completely uninspiring. 3) As good as the rooftop bar service is the breakfast service is not. Ponderous, laboured, uninspiring and plodding... 4) Concierge service is also somewhat ponderous and not dedicated (staff work on reception also) which for a place which charges these prices is not on. 5) None of the balconied suites get any sun. 6) I hate it when good hotels think they can charge a stupid amount of money for anything in the mini bar or for wireless internet access (paying for which i found repellent in the extreme given what I paid for my room) or whatever. I have my antennae very well tuned to this sort of rip off. Don't wish to whine though as it is a fantastic place. But v v v overpriced and the manager needs to get a grip on some of the detail. All of the staff I encountered were lovely. So the issue is a management one.

My father always used to say that he was more inclined to pay for something that was expensive, but good, than something that was good, but expensive. After two stays at the Fasano I am obliged to conclude that this hotel falls into the second of these categories. So why is it so busy? Simply because, for most of its guests, money is very obviously no object whatsoever. It’s worth bearing this in mind when contemplating its eye-watering rates, to which one must typically add the cost of breakfast and internet access. Check-in is slick. Bags are delivered to the room swiftly (so often an irritant at top-class hotels). Other reviewers are correct in stating that there is little point in staying here, without paying the extra for a sea view. The problem is that, while you also need to specify a high floor (lower floors offer a tree-view, rather than sea-view), this will not be guaranteed by the hotel. Unless you are paying for a suite, the first impression of your room is almost certain to disappoint. Even the larger “deluxe oceanfront” rooms (of 40sqm) appear smaller by virtue of the decision to place the bed freestanding, in the middle of the room. Baths are absent even in these rooms, which is surprising given that other space is dedicated to a bidet and workdesk – other reasons why the rooms appear smaller than they actually are. But at least the quality of pretty much everything in the room is first rate and, once you get used to the layout, you start to forgive the first appearances. The roof-top area is beautiful, but can be cramped. However, the staff are accommodating and try their hardest to seek out spare beds when it is busy. Sunset over Ipanema beach is not to be missed. The bar here is also beautifully contemporary. Don’t forget also that the hotel has a dedicated tent on the beach, which can help you to make you comfortable there too. The seafood restauarant is outstanding and the service good (shame however about the benign muzak – yes, they really do play “The Girl from Ipanema” endlessly at all Ipanema hotels). Surprisingly few reviewers comment upon the Londra Bar, which is the coolest hang-out in the city. Don’t bother showing up before 11pm at Londra, however. The interior design of the ground floor public area is top-notch. This is a small building, but the design hides this fact to maximum effect. Just as in the rooms themselves, the materials used in the public areas are of the highest quality. Overall, this is a great hotel – based upon my experience, certainly the best in Rio. However, all of the above comes at a staggering price. With suites in the Copacabana Palace frequently on offer at half the price of a bath-less room here, it’s a struggle to justify the extravagance. Unless, as I suggest above, money is of no concern to you.