Hotel Review: Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro

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Introduction

The Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro is a luxury 5-Star, 436 room ocean front hotel located in Rio de Janeiro’s exclusive Barra da Tijuca.  While located about 30 minutes drive from popular tourist attractions in Rio, the Grand Hyatt provides less crowded beaches, safer surroundings, and beautiful views of the Ocean and Marapendi Lagoon.

Booking

Being a Hyatt Category 4 Hotel, point redemptions are 15,000 points or 7,500 points + 93USD.  Since rates for this hotel are so low, at $129 per night, it makes more sense to save points for other Hyatt properties.  For this booking, I booked an entry level room and used a Tier Suite Upgrade certificate.  At arrival I was upgraded from the Grand Suite King to the Ocean Lagoon Suite for having Globalist status.  Using a upgrade certificate is only advised if it is expiring soon, since even the suites at this resort go for only around $200.

Location (4/5)

The location of the resort is in a beautiful area with sweeping views of the lagoon with mountains in the background.  Beaches are less crowded and the area around the hotel is quiet for most part.  The only draw back is most of the touristic attractions are about a 30 minutes drive away.  However, Uber is readily available in Rio and prices are extremely cheap even for trips far away.

Property (4/5)

The property is relatively new, clean, and spacious but with only a small pool area.  However, with the beach across the street the pool was not a concern.  Downside is that part of the resort has halted construction on site due to economic reasons.  The hotel covered up the construction site to make it look better, but it looks like the covering starting to fall apart.  Nevertheless, the backside of the hotel facing the beautiful lagoon makes up for the slight eyesore from construction.

Pool and Beach (4/5)

The pool area had plenty of seating, especially since it appeared there were not many guests staying at the resort.  With the beach just across the street, the pool area was just something guests walked by to get to the beautiful shoreline.

Room (5/5)

For the price paid, the room was absolutely fabulous with gorgeous large windows with views of the lagoon.  The two sets of sliding doors opening up to a wrap around balcony exceeded expectations.  Sitting on the couch and watching all kinds of birds fly by was very relaxing.  The living room, bedroom, closet, and bathroom were very spacious and was a great bargain for the price paid.  Getting a room with a lagoon view was much better than rooms facing the ocean because ocean facing rooms are near the busy street.

Lounge (5/5)

The lounge is one of the best in the Hyatt portfolio and large enough to handle many guests.  Both indoor and outdoor seating, on both sides of the hotel, provides views of either the Lagoon or the Ocean.  Additionally, those with Globalist status can access the lounge for free.

Service (5/5)

Service is top notch at this resort with professional and friendly staff.   Prior to arrival, I emailed to hotel to plan all day activities and let them know we would be celebrating a birthday.  Once we arrived at the hotel, we were greeting with a birthday cake, balloons, and full travel itinerary for the next day.  Flawless service.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro is a large luxury resort that offers reasonable rates in a beautiful location.   For those planning on touring Rio, extra time will be spent traveling to and from the main tourist attractions.  However, less crowed beaches, beautiful rooms, and cheap Uber rides makes staying at the Grand Hyatt Rio a worthwhile experience.