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Rooms |
posted March 30, 2012
We were traveling with our daughter, so we settled for the only hotel that seemed to have a 2 space room. We called to make sure the room had 2 separate spaces and they reassured us. But it didn't! (Which wasn't a big deal because our daughter ended up skipping the Brazil part of the trip). But unreliability was just the beginning: Rooms are horrible, furniture is substandard and in bad shape, decor is grotesque (an amazingly cheesy painting of the Taj Mahal is their way of infusing espirito nordestino to their rooms!), no iron, horrible matrtess, clumsy air conditioner, windows that don't close properly, alarm clock that did not work, problems with hot water, no air conditioner in hallways. Lobby is ugly as is the general style of the building, which hurts because the swimming pool (which is OK minus but not horrible) is stuck between the building and an equally ugly one. Breakfast has some variety but boy, it's so bad. Coffee was burnt, juices are bad quality. Service overall was poor (concierge is just a tour seller who could not get the number of one of the major airlines to confirm a flight) except for the pool drinks, which were very good. Location is not bad but it is overrated. Views of the ocean are nice but not spectacular, no good beaches are close by and the historic area is far away. And the Ondina neighborhood is OK but not particularly interesting.
posted February 29, 2012
The Bahia Othon Palace ($138/night, high season) has all of the luxuries that you would expect from a 4-star hotel. Our room was spacious with a great ocean view and was decorated with at least some traditional Bahian furnishings. It came with a large safe, a frigobar and a bathroom with a good shower. One of the hotel’s best features is its pool, located on a ground-level ocean-view terrace that is oriented to catch the sun all day – it was the reason that we selected the hotel for the last night of our three week Brazilian vacation and we weren’t disappointed. The desk staff were also helpful with restaurant suggestions and arranging a late check-out. Our impression of the local area was affected by our arrival on Ash Wednesday, the end of Carnival. The hotel is on the Barra parade route, so the few local stores and restaurants were closed, temporary grandstands were being dismantled, and the streets stank of urine and were absolutely filthy with garbage and used condoms. On the positive side, the hotel is only a short walk to Barra beach to the south and to a couple of smaller beaches to the north (there are only rocky headlands at the hotel), all of which have barracas that sell beer and coconuts. The hotel supplies beach towels but recommends that you take nothing else with you because of the potential for theft. For supplies such as water, beer and fruit juices (the prices in the frigobar were obscenely expensive), we took a 5-minute taxi ride to the Barra Shopping Mall. While we were generally happy with our stay at the Othon, there were a number of aspects that simply were not up to standard: check-in was disorganized and slow; while free WiFi was available in the lobby, there was an expensive surcharge if you want to use it in the room; the room was a bit worn and in need of a touch-up; breakfast was poor (watery scrambled eggs, watery fruit juices, and a very limited selection of fruit), especially in comparison with our breakfasts at more modest 2-star pousadas; and pool access required a walk through the lobby and parking area – a bit uncomfortable wearing a swimming suit amongst businessmen in suits. All in all, the Bahia Othon Palace is an acceptable hotel but not one that sticks out among the pack.
posted February 18, 2012
We stayed here over Xmas 2011, thinking we would spend 3 nights just chilling out in a nice hotel and thats exactly what we did!! Its a kind of cavernous hotel - the lobby is huge and I have to say it misses a nice, cosy bar. The bar thats there is kind of dumped in the lobby, which is a shame. The rooms aren't what you would call 5 star in the UK or other parts of the world - but they're nice enough. The breakfast is brilliant - loads of choice....except you have to ask for tea - they do have it but never seem to put it out...The swimming pool area is lovely - bit of a nag having to traipse across to it but its a great area for relaxing and the pool bar is tops. There's always a free sunbed and the food is pretty good. You get a great view of the sun setting over the sea as well from here. Its a bit of a hike to the lighthouse and at night it is a bit dodgy (although we walked it several times without issue) so if you're not confident don't walk, get a bus or taxi. Or better still if you want more action stay further up the road nearer the lighthouse. We just wanted to relax and this hotel met our needs perfectly.
posted February 14, 2012
I was there just for one night. We got 2 rooms for my family of 4. Well located hotel, with good, ample rooms and very nice staff. Pool and reception are very good to.
posted February 6, 2012
In the past this would be a very interesting hotel to stay while in Salvador. Today it has only a nice location, old rooms, and very slow service.
