(Don't) Stay: Hotel Tropical Manaus*****
A setting fit for Stephen King's "The Shining"
Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
611 rooms, from 326 bra (about 60 usd) in 2014
In this week's Client Finds, we share places heralded not as one of our best highlights and discoveries, but one of the worst. At the Hotel Tropical, we learned that not all "Five Stars" are created equal.
Heading to the luxurious outposts of the Amazon rain forest, travellers must traditionally fly to Manaus and overnight before heading hours out into the forest. We picked the "finest" place to stay in the Amazon's largest city. It was the "Five Star" property in a sea of other mediocre offerings. Beyond the five star signage on the walls (bestowed by Brazil's clearly antiquated tourism rating system), it was anything but.
A hallowed out, massive property was probably once a glorious thing: A giant of a building, with eerie, echoed spaces mirrored the size of the Amazon itself. We saw very few people inside on our visit. Walking down the dimly-lit corridors to our room was like being a scared Shelley Duvall in a scene of "The Shining." The big, dark doors were massive, carved out of the rare hardwoods found outside the walls of the building. The room was basic, plain – which was tolerable until we found the mass of long hairs on a used soap bar sitting in the shower. There was an abandoned zoo, a lagoon pool, ample activity areas for children. It felt like we were in the lost world of a sub-rate Walt Disney World resort.
Before you say, but it was only $60 usd per night, be aware that was quite expensive for a Brazilian hotel room a decade ago. And especially in that city.
It has recently re-opened as a Marriott Tribute property billed as the "Tropical Executive," so Marriott loyalists, beware!
Hotel Tropical Manaus Eco Resort, Manaus, Brazil
Photo source: Syllogi
Every publication will feature one unique restaurant, hotel, activity, or other travel discovery that stood out in our research. Some of these are established institutions that deserve repeat merit, while others are hidden gems that are often off the radar of most.
