still the best hotel in Rio de Janeiro, but... lets Compare: the Fasano is overpriced for rooms the size of a closet and very noisy .. the Fairmont has great , friendly service, but is like being in a cruise ship . the Copacabana palace is still the best of his class...BUT!... the worst service you can expect from this kind of place. i have been in many Belmond places in the world, most perfect.and so why is this is one run like a road motel.??? plain to see that the old staff , is still very friendly and helpful , charming and personable. and trying their best...the new staff , specially on the front desk , could not be more rude, cold, and worst of all erratic and innefficient. also a hotel of this type , that does not have a real concierge??? or a real airport transfert? really??? , they try to do with a improvised one. not always succesfully. Forget about room service. they are visibly and painfully slow , erratic and understaffed. i stayed in this place many times thru the years, and the charm that still still holds comes from the personable service coming from the few old timers , it seems. Once they go , it will be just another old palace gone to think of in the past tense.