Gavea Tropical Boutique Hotel

The hotel is up the hill away from the madness of the beach and downtown areas, but still a 15 minute walk to the heart of Gavea and a 15 minute cab ride (download Uber or app called "99" before you go!) to Ipanema and Leblon. Everyone at the hotel is friendly and helpful. The breakfast each morning is superb, especially when the monkeys come and join you. The pool is small but the hot tub is great (you have to ask them to heat it up 40 minutes in advance, though, and they shut it down early - at 10pm even on weekends). The view from the balcony in our room and from the gym is one of the best in all of Rio!

Brilliantly run, very friendly, delicious breakfasts. Great views - but that does mean you do mostly need taxis to get around.

Our family stayed here for two weeks. We were pleased with the friendly staff and comfortable room. The setting is beautiful - tucked away in the trees and separate from the beaches, whilst still close. Monkeys came to eat bananas from our hands in the mornings.

It is a lovely and friendly hotel, the staffs are really nice and the view is beautiful!! Staffs were so helpful and our stay went smoothly, we also stayed with our children and they enjoyed their stay. It is a bit far away from the beach but the room comfort and view is lovely. Good value for money as well I must say. Breakfast is typical Brazilian and it was very nice, fresh fruits are lovely!!

Great area of Rio very different from the tourist beach scene.

5 Star B&B!! We loved this place! Amazing omelettes for breakfast=Check, Feeding the baby monkeys=Check, Sweet view of the Christ Statue=Check, Hot Tub=Check!! This helped make our 1st trip to Rio that much more memorable! Now, trying to find the place can be quite an adventure! But its only 10 min. from Ipanema, AND away from the crowds. Book it before it sells out!!

This hotel was the highlight of our trip to South America. The suites were amazing. Dont get the villa though. Pros: Gorgeous views and we got to feed little monkeys every morning! My better half absolutely loved this. The rooms were well decorated and clean. Get a suite and pay the extra $10-20 per night. Its well worth it. Customer service was top notch. Being a boutique hotel we regularly interacted with the owner and manager, both of whom were very helpful and spoke English! Con: We originally booked the villa. The Villa is actually a smaller room rigjt above the street. No scenic view unless you like a dirt hill. The sewage from the street had a tendency to linger in the Villa if you left the doors closed. We moved to the suite (next size up) the first day. Perfect for couples even though it can fit more.

Stayed in room #7 which is advertised as a Villa. The room could be good if it didn't smell terribly, didn't have a mosquito pest and didn't need to escalate very steep steps to the lobby area, maybe 70 steps. The staff is very nice but impossible to compensate for not being able to sleep at night.

my husband and i had a relaxing pleasant stay the staff are first class and really helpful nothing was too much trouble .

The hotel details showed a room for 5. It only had one double bed and a sofa bed that is very uncomfortable. The baths did not have any doors, so there was no privacy for anyone who wanted to take a bath or use the toilet. It shows that is is 0.3 miles from Leblon, but it is much further and there is a Favela slums directly above the hotel. We had to move out, and the owner promised us a reimbursement for the difference. But when I requested one from Expedia, the owner did not give the difference that was owed.

I believe this hotel is the best kept secrete in Rio...no party scene around. It is tucked away in a mountain in Gavea neighborhood. This hotel caters to visitors who appreciate superb personal customer service as well as beautiful city views... You MUST upgrade your room to obtain the view! The hotel rooms are spotless; I was very pleased about it since I am somewhat of a "germ freak." The complementary breakfast is quite complete. Sipping my coffee in the breakfast area and watching the small monkeys being fed by the staff was my favorite part of the morning. The setup of the hotel is in 6 or 7 levels, one to three rooms per level. There is a lot of walking involved so if you have difficulty walking, this will not be the hotel for you. I personally loved the exercise of going up and down the stairs; however, as much as I loved the hotel, I would not be able to bring my elderly father here. We stayed here a week and loved every minute of it; however, the hotel it is not perfect... a little too much chlorine in the Jacuzzi, lol, and the wireless internet drops from time to time... made us remember that there is no perfect world, lol. Rauber and Flavia, the managers, are multilingual and always are available and willing to help with suggestions of where to go or how to get there. I fell in love with every single staff member of this hotel; they are wonderful and are very gracious people. I will definitely come back to visit them again!

It was a wonderful experience. We felt like we were on our honeymoon. The Staff was amazing and very helpful. The only downfall was it was difficult to get Internet but other than that we loved the place.

Our family of 4 stayed in the suite at the Gavea Tropical and we had a FABULOUS time! We got to know the staff quickly and appreciated their helpful recommendations on where to go and how to get around. Wonderful breakfast every morning and delightful visiting monkeys on the patio, We never would have had this type of experience in a high rise on the beach. Many thanks to Zoila, Henrique, and Silas for truly making our vacation special. I would definitely recommend this hotel.

Arrived a little bit shell shocked as taxi driver had trouble finding hotel - but all worthwhile when waking to such a spectacular view. We soon got our bearings and walked into Gavea and Leblon each day - taxi ride home as hills are steep. The staff at Gavea Tropical Boutique do everything in their power to make your stay as enjoyable as possible with a very friendly attitude - fresh towels each day, wonderful breakfasts - but the views in all directions make this hotel a little piece of heaven!

Very small, yet very tranquil away from the beach fronts and with a wonderful vista looking down over Rio. Comfortable, clean and the staff were warm and friendly. Yes, all the basics of a good hotel, but this is not your normal hotel, If you want to experience something a little different away from the normal sanitised, formal blandness of the 'chain' hotels, then this is a little treat for the more adventurous, romantic hearted traveller. It does lack all the facilities of a big chain hotel, but who really needs to go to the gym and then dress fomally to go to dinner, when you can have a wonderful uniquely designed room, with a small veranda overlooking Rio and with Christ the Redeemer keeping an eye on you too. The manager, Kyle, has a great grasp of english and is very welcoming which makes you feel relaxed, before you even get to your room. I was just a little disappointed I was only there for one night, with my lovely lady and 1 year old son .. so the 'romance' had to be put on hold, but a cot was placed our room ( I had arranged this before I arrived) and he did sleep soundly, so we did get a chance to sit out and watch the lights of Rio twinlking in the background.. The one issue which may be a problem to the less fit among us is that it is only accessed by narrow stone stairways; if you don't travel light, don't worry the handyman/porter will carry everything to your room as he did for us!! I hope I can return one day child free.. and soon.

The staff at the hotel are amazing, everyone is welcoming and willing to help however they can. The view of the room is priceless, I could see the Christ from my balcony and the mountains were always lit by the city. I fell in love with Rio, and when I return I will be going back to the same hotel.

difficult place to find, requires better directions

It was a nice hotel; however its location wasn’t the best. Room could be cleaner. Great service provided by the attendant Jonathan.

We recommend this hotel to anyone who wants a more uniquely Brazilian experience. The staff was very helpful and our stay here couldn't have been more enjoyable. Russell and Tami Baze

Perfect for a quiet romantic getaway away from the hustle and bustle of Copacabana and Ipanema. Like a vacation away from Rio without ever leaving. Would definitely stay here again for a relaxing weekend.