we loved the falls! this is a great hotel, 5 stars. I chose to bring my group to the "hotel international foz" because I stayed at the "tropical cataratas" hotel in the park and it was just "ok", like the other reviews said. the "foz hotel" is in the city. after you visit the falls you can walk around in the city. there is not much to it but it was fun. you have many choices to eat at just in the hotel alone! there is a 24hr snack shop and bakery right next door. and within walking distance by day is a great spanish resturant, if the choices at the hotel is not enough. there is a club with music during the weekends. some reviews stated that the ac does not work in the rooms, the ac is timed to go off after you remove your "key card". to save energy. At night the hotel has a great view of the city from the top floor in the resturant or the bar area.

I stayed there in September, 2005, its a very nice hotel in town. The reception area is clean and polished, the people working the desk are friendly and there was always someone around who spoke english. They were helpful in giving recommendations for restaurants and quick to hail cabs.

The area around the hotel seemed safe, but I didnt do too much wandering around, nor is there much to see in town. All of the tourist stuff (the falls) requires a cab ride, which wasnt a problem, but the larger resorts are closer to the falls.

The rooms were average size and clean with modern neutral tones, the beds were comfortable. The bathrooms above average size with a large glass shower/tub with plenty of hot water. I had to hold down the button for toilet for about 10 seconds to get it to empty, but once I figured that out it was fine.

The tour desk was helpful, but I found them a little pricey. Not too surprising considering most of the people in the hotel looked to be affluent.

Most of the sights in Foz dont really require a tour guide, but you will need a taxi ride to them. The tour desk can arrange that, but that happens for a price. Learn some basic Portuguese you'll get a better price negotiating directly with the cabbies for a fixed fare -- they drive you there, wait, and then take you back when you are done.

Of note, there is a nightclub right next to the hotel. It didn’t bother me too much, but the place was busy (noisy and music) until about 2am on Thursday and 5am on Friday night. Could be a problem if you are a light sleeper, could be convenient if you speak some Portuguese and want to go clubbing.

The breakfast spread is massive, hot and cold foods, fruits, juices, breads, etc. All fresh and comparable to any good US hotel.

Pros: clean and modern, great breakfast spread, friendly staff

Cons: not as close to the tourist attraction as some of the other resorts

Overall its about 3 and 1/2, but the breakfast spread pushes it to a 4.

I did lots of research before settling on the Hotel International Foz - and we made the right choice. The hotel is in the centre of Foz, away from the airport and the main resort hotel which line the road between the airport and the Brazilian Falls. The distance to the Brazilian Falls is about 15 km - but this is easily covered as part of taxi ride or a tour. The big advantage of being in the town is that it is more convenient to access the other major attractions, inlcuding the Argentinian Falls, Paraguay and the Itaipu Dam. You also have a much better choice of activities for the evening and are not trapped in a resort. The town is not pretty, but it felt very safe to us - and the locals were very friendly and helpful.

The hotel itself was much better than I expected. The quality of the rooms and public areas was of a very high standard. The bed was large and comfortable. The room facilities were absolutely in line with what you would want and expect. Maintenance and cleanliness could not be faulted. Service was good and the breakfast buffet was more than acceptable. There is no in room high speed internet. Very good selection of English TV channels.

There is an excellent tour desk in the foyer, manned until 10.00 p.m. - they are more expensive than some of the local operators, but they excelled in the quality of service and their willingness to help.

If I return to visit the falls, would I choose to stay here again? Yes absolutely.

I got a better rate by calling driectly than by booking over the Internet.

The clean, attractive, well located, International hotel has a wonderful restaurant on the 18th floor, large pool area in the rear, great bountiful breakfasts where the staff wear surgical masks and gloves to keep food pristine. Be aware of phone charges-we were charged $8 for a 1 min call to a local cell phone and smoking is allowed in the lobby so when a busload of guests arrive, one has to evacuate when they light up. When booking tours, make sure to get price for two, if that's the case.