Review: Hampton By Hilton Guarulhos Airport
Intro
After a terrific time in Rio, filled with lovely food, visiting Christ The Redeemer, and a decent stay at the Americas in Copacabana, I hopped on a flight with GOL from Santos Dumont to Congonhas. With a scheduled departure of 6:55 am from Gaurulhos International, I decided it was best to stay in an airport hotel, maximizing the possible sleep.
I think this hotel ticked all the boxes for the price I paid. It functions well for the purpose that it serves: an airport hotel. However, I couldn't imagine spending more than a night here as there are limited activities around the hotel.
Let's get into the review!
How I Booked
The day prior, I had been monitoring prices at the airport hotels in Rio. Even if there were options closer to the airport, there weren't options for the price that I paid😱. All in all, the last-minute booking came out to just under 64$ for my one-night stay in a basic King room. I'd say that is a pretty decent value!
Location
The Hampton by Hilton is located about a 7-minute drive when arriving from the airport, or a 10-minute drive when departing the hotel to the airport.
The hotel does offer a shuttle service every 20 minutes during peak times and every hour during off-peak hours. You can enquire with them at the front desk or online via email. I opted not to take the shuttle since the first one departed at 4 am. I planned to arrive early at Guarulhos to take the time to review the LATAM lounge. An Uber from the hotel came to about 5$ USD for this short ride.
Check-In
There were two desks upon arrival, and the staff was very friendly during check-in. They confirmed my reservation and explained the Wi-Fi to me. They showed me where the elevator was and off I went to the room...
The Rooms
Rooms are spread out across four floors (2-5) and today I was on the fourth floor. Specifically, room 1411. Upon exiting the elevator, I turned left down the hallway.
And was easily able to locate my room, 1411. It was a little bit dated but did the trick.
The rooms were laid out quite beautifully in the interior. The bed was the staple point and was large.
However, the bed wasn't that comfortable. I found the pillows and bed sheets to be of low quality. I was able to get some sleep but I was tossing a turning for a minute.
There was a desk that was perfect for working. On the desk was a kettle and packets of instant coffee. No coffee machine was provided sadly.
In the corner laid a little chair, aesthetically pleasing.
This is where things took a turn for the south. For an airport hotel, I would expect them to have international plugs like most countries, especially Brazil! But nope, only the local plug. I had one, but it didn't allow me to charge my MacBook.
Upon entering, there was a very basic bathroom. Although basic, everything worked well and was tidy.
Towels were folded under the sink and amenities were provided.
The shower did work a treat at 3 am. The water pressure was good and the soap/conditioner/shampoo was of decent quality.
The Service
Throughout my stay, I found the service to be warm and friendly bar one moment. This one moment occurred when I went downstairs to ask for an adapter. It seemed like the airport shuttle had just arrived with a bunch of tourists who didn't speak English or Portuguese. One of the bellmen asked me if I needed anything and I asked for a plug. He went up to the front desk and they told me to wait. No problem. You are busy, but I get it. However, I waited for 15 minutes and the line grew longer and longer, nothing was moving.
My point is, it would have just been nice to have someone say either "Yes we have a plug but you'll have to wait a few minutes", or "No we do not" and I could have just gone to bed. Eventually, I just gave up😅.
Other than that, the service was great.
The Food
Once I got to the hotel it was already 7 pm and I was knackered. For those wondering about the food options, there are 3 different options to eat. These are a full restaurant which is buffet style, a snack bar that is open 24 hours by the lobby, and a bar by the entrance.
I happened to take a quick glance at the buffet and it looked alright. However, not as good as the local cuisine I had earlier in Rio De Janeiro😉.
Final Thoughts
Minus the one instance of lack of communication, and the scratchy bed sheets, I think this hotel is a decent hotel for the price. Considering how close it is to the airport and how cheap I got it for, I would stay here again under the same circumstances. The airport shuttle is a great addition to the hotel as well due to it being free.
Commentaires