 |
| B |
| BAGE, BRAZIL Name: City Hotel Address: Price: $10 Rating: Mediocre: Reviewed: 1992 Review: Adequate two star hotel located on the main shopping street and next to a cinema. Rooms come with color tv but no fan or air conditioning which make it uncomfortable in warm weather. Also, the paint on the wall is peeling and the carpet could use shampooing. Fairly clean and friendly. Price includes breakfast. Recommended! Travel Tip: If you’re in the mood for chinese food you might try Hong Kong Night for a reasonably priced meal. The restaurant is located on the same street (7 de Setembro) as the above mentioned hotel. In addition to the regular menu, they offer an excellent noon time buffet. The buffet along with 1 caipirinha (Brazil’s national drink), 3 soft drinks and a 10% tip came to an astonishingly low price of $5.50. An exceptional value. BAHIA BLANCA, ARGENTINA Name: Hotel Atlantico Address: Price: $16 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1991 Review: Basic and not too clean of a hotel that includes spiderwebs. Not really recommended. BAILADORES, VENEZUELA Name: Hotel Toquissay Address: Price: $26.50 Rating: Honorable Mention Reviewed: 1997 Review: Very nice, indeed! Excellent three star hotel conveniently located both within walking distance to where the por puesto (shared van) stops and the small downtown area. Rooms are comfortable, spotless, average size and come with color tv but poor reception. The room doesn’t have air conditioning but being somewhat up in the mountains you don’t need it. Also, most rooms (mine included) have a balcony overlooking the very picturesque grounds that the hotel sits on. Nice touches include a hairdryer and a couple of freshly cut roses in the bathroom. There is even a peephole on the door (not usually found in most Venezuelan hotels) for added security. If coming to this peaceful town of 10,330 you couldn’t do better than this hotel. Highly recommended! BALNEARIO CAMBORIU, BRAZIL Name: Hotel San Remos Address: Price: $24 Rating: Honorable Mention Reviewed: 1992 Review: In this friendly and lively resort there are several hotels to suit most budgets. Excellent three star hotel located directly across from the beach. Rooms are comfortable, clean and come with air conditioning. Reasonably priced laundry service. Very friendly and helpful staff. Highly recommended! Price includes breakfast. BANDEIRANTES, BRAZIL Name: Hotel Brasil Address: Price: $13.50 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1995 Review: One of two inexpensive hotels in this peaceful town of 6,000. Good hotel located several blocks from the bus terminal and the center of town. Rooms are comfortable, cozy, spotless and don’t come with really anything. The bathroom is more spacious than what is usually found in less expensive hotels. Recommended! Price includes breakfast. Drawback: The door and lock sticks. Also, lots of ants in the sink and some on the floor. Since the hotel is really more like a motel, the ants come from outside because the door isn’t even with the floor. Finally, there’s no running water in the sink. BARINAS, VENEZUELA Name: Hotel Plaza Address: Calle Arzobispo Menez No. 10-20 Price: $12.50 Rating: Best Value Reviewed: 1997 Review: In this bustling city of 179,660 there are quite a few inexpensive hotels to choose from and this is one of them. Adequate hotel located a ways from the bus terminal by taxi ($2 - reasonable price!), near the downtown area and situated in a quiet residential area one block from a park. Rooms are basic, small, spotless and come with air conditioning and black and white tv. Friendly staff. Good value and a good budget choice. Very much recommended! Restaurant attached. BARIRI, BRAZIL Name: Bariri Hotel Address: Price: $11 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1999 Review: Okay hotel located a ways from the bus terminal by taxi ($3.50), approximately three blocks from the downtown area and situated in a peaceful residential area. Rooms are simple, spotless, somewhat small and come with black and white tv with remote control and a fan. For just $6.50 will get you a room without tv or bathroom but the communal bathroom is located down the hall. This hotel is the only one in town and isn’t too bad. Can be recommended! Price includes breakfast. BARQUISIMETO, VENEZUELA Name: Hotel Bonifran Address: Price: $33.50 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1997 Review: One of the two best hotels (if you don’t count the overpriced Hilton Hotel) that this bustling city has to offer. Good three star hotel located a short distance from the bus terminal by taxi ($2 - good price!) and in the immediate downtown area. Rooms are plain, clean, spacious and come with color tv (one cable channel) and air conditioning. If you’re fortunate enough to be on the top floor as I was (9th floor) you’ll have an aerial view of this city of 723,000 spread out beneath you. I would have to say that the view alone is worth coming to this hotel. Drawback: A couple of early morning cockroaches to wake up to. BARQUISIMETO, VENEZUELA Name: Hotel Florida Address: Carrera 19 entre Calles 31 y 32 Price: $15.50 Rating: Best Value Reviewed: 1997 Review: In this bustling city of 723,000 there seems to be plenty of hotels to suit most budgets. Good and adequate hotel located several blocks from the bus terminal by taxi ($3.50 - okay price!) and on the main shopping street of the downtown area. Rooms are basic, clean, small and come with color tv and air conditioning. In expensive Barquisimeto this hotel is an exceptional value. The hotel and room are nothing fancy but it’s a fairly decent place to stay for the night and can be recommended as being a good budget choice. Italian restaurant attached. BARRA BONITA, BRAZIL Name: Hotel Cristal Address: Price: $20 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1993 Review: Good hotel located a short walk or a very short taxi ride ($3) from the bus terminal, in the center of town and close to the river. Rooms are small, simple, fairly clean and come with color tv and fan. Friendly. Recommended! Price includes breakfast. BARRA DO GARCAS, BRAZIL Name: Hotel e Dormitorio Address: Price: $6.50 Rating: Worst Reviewed: 1995 Review: Very basic and shabby looking hotel (one of many) conveniently located near the bus terminal and the downtown area. Rooms are extremely basic (although miraculously clean) and don’t really come with anything. For $4.25 more per night will get you a bathroom in it. Perhaps this hotel might be all right for a night (in a financial pinch) but not any longer. However, there are several “questionable” cheap hotels in this area which cannot be considered the best part of town. I would recommend to be very selective when it comes to choosing a hotel for the night. This hotel is not recommended in the least. Drawback: The lock sticks. Travel Tip: You might want to consider skipping this town altogether since it’s rather poor and rundown with very few decent hotel choices. BARRA DO PIRAI, BRAZIL Name: Hotel Sao Benedito Address: Pca. Nilo Pecanha 110 Price: $39 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1996 Review: Adequate hotel conveniently located a block from the bus terminal and in the immediate downtown area. Rooms are a little on the plain side, clean, fairly spacious and come with color tv with remote control and a poorly stocked frigo bar. There are rooms available for just $17 for only a private bathroom in it. However, the desk clerk “claims” to have been out of this type of rooms (I have my doubts). Very modest hotel and the best that this city of 79,000 has to offer. Can be recommended. Price includes breakfast. Advisary: Take care when visiting here. This city is especially poor and rundown. You’ll see evidence of the poverty because when you approach the city limits you’ll see shantytowns (people living in shacks and the worst living conditions possible) all along the highway. BARRA MANSA, BRAZIL Name: Hotel Macabu Address: Price: $16 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1992 Review: Good one star hotel located on the main shopping street and within walking distance from the bus terminal. Rooms are simple but clean and come with air conditioning, fan and a small writing desk. Recommended! Price includes breakfast. Advisary: Watch out for cab drivers who overcharge! BARRA VELHA, BRAZIL Name: Hotel Mirante Address: Price: $9 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1993 Review: Adequate hotel located several blocks from both the downtown area and the beach and a short walk or very short taxi ride ($3) from the bus terminal. Rooms are basic but fairly clean. Very friendly. Recommended! Price includes breakfast. Travel Tip: The hotel offers a scrumptious noon time buffet for $4 that might be worth trying. Drawback: There’s some kind of a chicken farm located next to the hotel. Expect crowing to begin at around 4:30 a.m. BARRETOS, BRAZIL Name: Hotel Opala Address: Price: $11.50 Rating: Honorable Mention Reviewed: 1993 Review: Good Hotel located a short distance from the bus terminal by taxi ($3.50) and the downtown area. Rooms are spotless, spacious and come with color tv with remote control and air conditioning (barely works). Friendly. Highly recommended! Good value. Price includes breakfast. Travel Tip: There is a cinema located next door that shows American movies with Portuguese subtitles. Advisary: Cab drivers overcharge in this city. BATATAIS, BRAZIL Name: Castelo Palace Hotel Address: av. 9 de Julho 600 Price: $18 Rating: Honorable Mention Reviewed: 1999 Review: Very good hotel located quite a ways from the bus terminal by taxi ($3 - fair price!) and several blocks from the downtown area. Rooms are spacious, spotless and come with color tv with remote control (sometimes poor reception), fan and a well-stocked frigo bar. Most rooms (mine included) have a balcony with a breathtaking view of the city. The view is especially beautiful before the sun comes up in the morning and you can see the twinkling lights of the city in the distance. The best hotel that this city of 48,000 has to offer and very much recommended. Price includes breakfast. BAURU, BRAZIL Name: Hotel Colonial Address: Price: $20 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1993 Review: Good two star hotel located a short distance from the bus terminal by taxi ($3) and a couple of blocks from the downtown area. Rooms are comfortable, clean and come with color tv. The desk clerk is persistent and will try to convince you that you’ll be more comfortable in one of the more expensive rooms that include air conditioning and he’ll back down if you assert yourself. At the time of my visit it was very comfortable without it. This hotel can be recommended. Price includes breakfast. |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| click on the Warrior to return to the Table of Contents |
 |