Check-in went smoothly. The host was very gracious and because my room was not yet ready, he asked me if I wanted to use the spa to shower and change. A bellman carried my bag for me and I was able to clean up after the overnight flight. What a difference a shower makes!

However, when I came down to the lobby to get something to eat while I was waiting, I was unable to connect to the internet. I spoke with the concierge about it and was told that I could get a passcode, but if I used it first in the lobby, it would not then work in the rooms. However, if I waited and used it first in my room, it would work in the lobby. If I wanted to get any work done while I was waiting, I would have to purchase an additional passcode for my room for R$35. So, I started writing my review instead.

Bruno, the bellman, kept strict tabs on my luggage during my 1.25 hour wait for a room. In the lobby, I bought myself some refreshments (Antarctica soda, a Brazilian 7-Up) and some beef carpacchio appetizers. (The appetizers were to DIE for.) If my room was ready, I would have been greeted with my pre-ordered light breakfast and be eating by now. I wonder if it will be there when I finally get my room. (It wasn’t.)

The hotel is very nice; the lobby is done in light woods on the walls, a reddish-brown granite on the desks, and a dark granite for the floors.

One thing I am looking forward to is my massage at 3:00pm. A few days before my arrival, the hotel sent me a welcome along with a link to a virtual concierge. That was how I ordered my breakfast and a 90-minute Indian massage. I wanted it the first day I got here, and it is only about 1.5 hours away. I hope my food comes soon because I don’t like to eat really soon before a massage, but I am HUNGRY.

My massage was great, and very relaxing. I slept through most of it. My room is nice, although it has two double beds instead of one king bed. I didn’t notice it except when my feet hung over the end last night while I was sleeping (!). The temperature controls are very powerful and there is a window that opens a bit to let in fresh air. I like that.

We stopped at a supermarket so that we could get some water that didn’t cost R$18.00 each like the ones in the room. We got 12 bottles for R$1.29! That ought to help a lot with keeping costs down on water here.

My breakfast arrived this morning. Fruit, which was perfect after the heavy dinner last night. Orange juice with extra vitamin C to stave off the cold that I am getting. And a pot of hot chocolate which was awesome!

Wednesday, not so good with the breakfast. I ordered breakfast on the virtual concierge for the whole week, but apparently they forgot about today. It’s almost 7am and I am really glad that I didn’t rely on them to wake me up in the morning. Even if they get it here in 10 minutes (which I doubt), it’ll be annoying.

So they called back and said, “well, you had it delivered Monday and Tuesday, but we weren’t aware that you wanted it at the same time every day throughout your whole stay.” I guess that just frustrates me because the first day, the waiter asked if I wanted any changes for my breakfast tomorrow, and I didn’t, so it was good. Yesterday, no such question, but was a wrong in assuming that I would have breakfast the next day?

And what the hotel staff said when they called back “we weren’t aware you wanted it at the same time each day” not each day, but the time. If they were concerned about the time, they should’ve contacted me to ask when I wanted it. That’s what they did for Monday morning—leaving a message for me that I didn’t get until 5:30 in the morning when I work up to go to the restroom and coincidentally saw that the light was flashing.

Not what I need in the morning.

I really want to like this place, but between this… and me calling yesterday for a late checkout on Thursday and being asked to call back on Thursday morning to see if it is possible… their customer service has gone down a notch for me.

On Thursday, it ended up that I could not get a check out later than 1:00pm, which didn’t help because I was sightseeing all morning (and into the afternoon), and my flight didn’t leave until 10:00pm. I spent most of Thursday afternoon in the lobby—although I did sneak in a spa treatment (Swedish massage) because, well, why not!? It was just as nice as the one I had on Sunday. I think if I return, I will save my money for a massage the day I leave instead of the day I arrive.