Which are the best Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Rio de Janeiro? There’s plenty of choice within the Marriott brand, including top brands like the Luxury Collection, EDITION, St Regis, W Hotels, and JW Marriott, as well as mid-range brands like their Autograph Collection, Renaissance, Sheraton, Le Meridien, Design Hotels, and their Westin collections.
Rio de Janeiro is a famous seaside city in Brazil with a glorious beach. This fantastic city sits between beautiful mountains and white sandy beaches and is renowned for its rhythms and its people’s wide-open smiles. Famous landmarks include its Copacabana and Ipanema beaches and the 38m Christ the Redeemer statue on top of Mount Corcovado. Sugarloaf Mountain, the sprawling favelas, and the world’s largest Carnaval festival also make this a must-visit city.
In terms of the main Marriotts, the JW Marriott is in Copacabana, and Sheraton Rio is in Leblon. While the Sheraton is a little far from the action, Copacabana is known to suffer from tourist crime. The Grand Hyatt is lovely, but it’s far out in Barra. The Sheraton has particularly nice pools, and a resort feel. There is also a good club lounge at both the JW Marriott and the Sheraton. The breach by the Sheraton has the reputation of being dirty, but if you want to sit around the pool with a cocktail (and a cigar?), the Sheraton is a great choice.
We have already reviewed the best luxury hotels in Rio de Janeiro and the best hotels with club lounges in Rio de Janeiro. Of note, there is no Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis in Rio de Janeiro, in fact, there are very few Marriotts in Brazil at all.
It is worth noting that the best luxury hotel in Rio de Janeiro does not include the Four Seasons Rio de Janeiro as there is no Four Seasons hotel in Rio de Janeiro. You can see the best Four Seasons in South America.
1. JW Marriott Rio de Janeiro
JW Marriott Hotel Rio de Janeiro is one of the best luxury hotels in Rio de Janeiro and is conveniently located on the beachfront. This Copacabana hotel features elegant rooms and suites, upscale amenities, and a variety of dining.
The JW Marriott Rio offers a free towel and beach chair service for guests on Copacabana Beach. After a long day in Rio, visit the Moonlounge Rooftop Bar & Truck and indulge in international street food prepared with fresh and local ingredients.
Maintain your workout routine in the fitness center, located on the rooftop, or go for a swim in the rooftop pool.
Marriott Bonvoy Platinum and Titanium members can choose between the complimentary breakfast in either the hotel’s Executive Lounge or in the hotel restaurant. The restaurant’s buffet is almost always better than the breakfast in the executive club lounges.
That said, the breakfast at this lounge is fairly decent, with cut and whole fruit, cereals, bread, pastries and muffins, jams, sweets, cheeses, and cold cuts. There are also two heated dishes with scrambled eggs and bacon in one dish and chopped-up sausages and chip-style fried potatoes.
During the day, there is free tea and coffee from the machine, soft drinks from the fridge, and fruit, biscuits, and nuts. In the evenings, the lounge offers complimentary wine and local beer, as well as a couple of hot dishes, canapes, and desserts.
The look of the executive lounge is pretty nice for a lounge with a shiny wood floor, a triple-height ceiling, and an enormous triple-height window overlooking Copacabana Beach. There is a variety of seating, including wooden cafe-style tables and chairs, high tables with stools, and a bench with chairs with views out to the beach.
You can see what we have experienced in terms of food and drink at the club lounge at JW Marriott in London which will give you an idea of what to expect. This is undoubtedly one of the best club lounges in the city, with a substantial hot and cold buffet at both dinner and breakfast, plus evening canapes and alcoholic drinks.
2. Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & Resort
Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & Resort is a Rewards Category 4 Marriott Bonvoy hotel located between trendy Barra da Tijuca and famed Ipanema Beach.
The nice thing about this hotel is the colorful, tropical setting. There’s also a complimentary shuttle that will take you to local beaches, Leblon, and Rio Sul’s shops, which is needed as there isn’t anything much in the immediate vicinity of the hotel. In fact, you are unlikely to want to go for much of a walk due to a busy road and a nearby favela,
The renovated Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & Resort is the city’s only beachfront resort with an extensive recreational area, spa, and amenities. Its lush, landscaped grounds are set above a white-sand beach fronting the tropical South Atlantic and flanked by towering mountains. Often, there is live music by the pool, guitar playing, and singing, which adds to the party atmosphere.
There is a pizza place on the grounds by the pool, and they have a BBQ buffet which is worth a try.
538 guest rooms and suites feature comfortable “Sheraton Signature Sleep Experience” beds as well as private balconies overlooking the sea. This is a much better choice for tourists than the other Sheraton in town because of the balconies and resort atmosphere.
Club Level accommodations include access to the Sheraton Club Lounge and an exclusive area for breakfast. The club lounge can be found on the 26th floor and offers breakfast and evening canapes and alcoholic drinks.
There is an additional Marriott hotel in Rio de Janeiro which is the Hotel & Spa do Vinho, Autograph Collection, which is also a good Marriott choice.
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