Carolina Pennella
10月 2026
★★★★★
Unfortunately, my stay at Fairmont Rio de Janeiro did not meet my expectations for a hotel in the luxury segment. While the staff members I interacted with were generally polite, the overall experience was marked by repeated maintenance issues, poor communication, delays, and inefficient service.
The first room I was assigned had a noticeable musty smell, a light that would not turn on, and a television that did not work. After raising these issues, a manager offered to arrange a room change and specifically asked us to pack all our belongings before leaving for an appointment, assuring us that the change would be taken care of while we were away. We spent approximately 40 minutes packing and organizing everything based on that assurance. However, when we returned three hours later, the staff on duty had no knowledge of the arrangement. As a result, we had to wait more than an additional hour before the room change could finally be arranged. Although I appreciate that we were eventually upgraded to a higher room category, the poor communication between staff members and the unnecessary inconvenience made this an extremely frustrating start to our stay.
Unfortunately, the problems continued in the new room. The television had limited channel options, the telephone was out of order, the flooring was visibly scratched, and the bottle opener provided in the room was broken, making it difficult to open bottled water. Having a nonfunctional telephone was particularly inconvenient because I could not contact the front desk from the room and had to go downstairs in person to request assistance. These are basic room amenities that should be checked and maintained before guests arrive, especially at a property positioned in the luxury segment.
Service response times were another major disappointment. I waited more than two hours for a steamer I had requested. A request for such a basic item should not require that much time or follow-up. Throughout the stay, I felt that even simple requests required excessive waiting or additional effort on our part.
The breakfast experience also fell short of expectations. We experienced a significant delay before being seated, which was frustrating when starting the day. Additionally, I was charged for the first breakfast, and the American Express voucher was not applied to our massage as expected. These issues added to the impression that the guest experience was not being handled with the level of coordination and attention to detail one would expect from a luxury hotel.
To be fair, the bed linens were of good quality, and the staff members we interacted with were generally courteous. I also appreciate the room upgrade offered after the initial room issues. However, politeness and a room upgrade do not fully compensate for recurring maintenance problems, poor internal communication, excessive waiting times, and difficulties resolving basic requests.
What made the experience particularly disappointing was the accumulation of issues across both rooms. The first room had a musty smell, faulty lighting, and a nonfunctional television, while the second room had its own shortcomings. Any one of these problems might have been manageable on its own, but experiencing so many during a single stay significantly affected our overall impression of the hotel. A luxury experience should provide comfort, reliability, proactive service, and the reassurance that basic details have been taken care of. Instead, we repeatedly had to deal with problems that should have been prevented or resolved more efficiently.
Fairmont Rio has an attractive setting and some positive aspects, but my experience did not reflect the standard of service, maintenance, and attention to detail I associate with a luxury property at this price point. I hope this feedback is taken constructively, as improvements in room inspections, communication between departments, service response times, and the handling of guest benefits could make a meaningful difference.