Does anyone know of a decent hotel in Salvador, Bahia - Brazil?

[imrthr]

I am looking for a good quality hotel in a safe part of Salvador. Based on looking at Tripadvisor and similar sites, hotels range from bad to good all in the same area of downtown.

 

If I were willing to stay in an area other than downtown, I could find a "business hotel" that seems to be rated high.

 

I prefer to stay downtown as I plan to see as much of the historical part of Salvador as I possibly can.

 

However, if downtown is not safe, then I have no choice but to take a hotel in another section of town. Any information or recommendations are appreciated.

[+ Axiom2001]

Contact Fernando Bingre@ hotmail.com as well as consult his blog which is http://lgbtbahianguide.blogspot.com. A few weeks back--I contacted him via my FB page where in asked about hotels in the Barra area of Bahia. He made two recommendations. From there I went to http://www.Tripdadvisor.com as well as http://www.booking.com and made a reservation based on his recommendation.

 

Write to him citing your requests; it is hoped that he'll get back to you. If you desire to engage his services as a guide and company--I think you'll be pleased based on what others (in the past) have said about him. I do know that I've liked the "ring" of his emails which we've periodically exchanged during the past two or three years.

[EZEtoGRU]

I did some business trips to Salvador in 2005 and 2006. I think each time I stayed at the Pestana hotel. It was decent. Not great but not awful. Nice location on the water. There seemed to be a mix of business people and vacationers staying in the hotel. Since I was there on business and only for 2 days on each trip, I didn't really check out any of the hotel facilities other than the breakfast room and my bedroom. I don't know if they had a gym, beach, etc.

 

As per usual, Axiom has provided some great information and a contact (Axiom seems to have contacts in many of the South American cities). You can probably get much more current information from the contact person he gave you than I am able to provide.

[imrthr]

Hi EZEtoGRU:

 

Thank you for the information on a hotel in Salvador (Pestana hotel). You mentioned that it was in 2005 and 2006 since you stayed at that hotel.

 

I went to tripadvisor.com to see what others had to say about the hotel. Did I get a surprise when I looked at the reviews of the hotel by others!

 

See -

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g303272-d304337-Reviews-Pestana_Bahia_Hotel-Salvador_State_of_Bahia.html

 

I realize things change over the years (just as the saunas have changed). Most of the reviews of the hotel were not complimentary and some were downright negative and warned people to stay away from the hotel. Click on the above link and see what I mean.

 

I know you had the best of intentions when you mentioned the name of the hotel. It is not your fault that the hotel changed during the past five and six years since you last stayed there. It is somewhat akin to it not being your fault that the saunas have declined in quality and quantity. Things happen and few things in life remain the same.

 

I looked at several more hotels on tripadvisor but I did not see anything that appealed to me in the area of the city I prefer to stay. It looks like I have some additional work to do with finding a compatible air schedule and hotel.

 

Once again, have a grand trip to Montreal.

[trilingual]

I don't think there's much in the way of good hotels in the Pelourinho district, and there are some safety issues there after dark. Probably nothing worse than in downtown São Paulo, but it may affect your decision about where to stay. The Barra area is a good place to stay -- it's a fairly short trip from there to the Pelourinho, and also convenient to the beaches and saunas. The Barra shopping center is nearby and useful for necessities, plus it has a nice food court and on a really hot day the air-conditioning is welcome! The Pestana is near Barra, on the ocean side of the city. If you can find a nice hotel that's near the Pestana that would be a good area to stay in.

[EZEtoGRU]

Sounds like the Pestana has gotten worse in the last 5-6 years. It was only average when I stayed there, but I agree, the reports on TripAdvisor don't sound great.

[imrthr]

Thanks to each who responded to my request for a recommendation of a hotel in Salvador, Bahia.

Apparently, the historical area of the city here I hoped to stay is not very safe in the evening. Therefore, that is not the area where I will be staying.

 

I decided to wait until I arrive in Sao Paulo before I select a Salvador hotel. I will not be arriving in Brazil until July and have plenty of time to research hotels in the meantime. Thanks again.

 

Cheers,

[John]

Pousada do Boqueirao

 

In February 2007 I stayed in the Pousada do Boqueirao and was very happy. It is in Rua Direita do Santo Antonio 48 and run with charm and efficiency by an Italian woman, Fernanda Cabrini. It is a 5 minute walk from the main square where they whiped the slaves. I walked it regularly at night (before midnight) passing other hotels and a few restaurants. I never felt unsafe in the old town, although I used my street smarts from living in American cities for the last 40 years. I carried my camera in a non-descript plastic bag.

 

Many rooms in the hotel have full or partial bay views. Some have terrasses. Breakfast, overlooking the bay, was great. All is clean, simple, and tasteful.

 

I had thought about staying in Barra, but the hotels did not seem interesting, and I would have been going to the old town all the time.

 

Salvador is wonderful. Relax. Have fun.

[imrthr]

Thanks for the additional referral - Pousada do Boqueirao hotel.

 

I looked at Tripadvisor and saw wonderful reviews about this hotel. However, I looked at other sites and saw less than favorable reviews.

 

I looked at other sites concerning the Pestana hotel and found glowing reviews that did not agree with the awful reviews found on Tripadvisor.

 

It sure gets confusing to read conflicting opinions about the same hotel from different sites. It is almost like a review about totally different hotels. Obviously, I will have to take some chances on a hotel and/or continue to do more research.

-

[+ Axiom2001]

Since you are reading contradictory hotel reviews, why not just send Fernando your requests/interests and see what he advises. In your doing this, you are NOT being obligated to engage his services. He is there to help future and past visitors.

 

Bahia is his birth city; thus he would NOT lead you astray. I emailed him with my intentions; he sent me four suggested properties.... If I were to be going this year, I'd be making my own reservations based on his recommendations/suggestions.

[12is12]

I agree with Johntx.

I was in Salvador just 4 months ago, stayed at the Hotel Studio do Carmo near the Pelourinho, was very satisfied, and had no safety problems wandering the streets of the old town after dark. And it's only a ten minutes taxi drive to the Planetario.