Stayed in Sheraton Barra for a rew nights. Great for a few days getaway (came from Copacabana).

Great pool area. Nice rooms, but rather expensive. Barra is sort of "way out" in Rio, but the good side of it is that it's more quiet. Not so busy. Besides there's a big mall close by (free shuttle bus picks up at hotel), so for a few days of sun, beach (and shopping mall....) it's good.

My wife and I stayed at the Sheraton Barra from March 8th till March 13th.

We as seniors had some misgivings regarding our visit to Rio de Janeiro mostly regarding safety but I would council any other people planning a visit to use some common sense, our choice of area and hotel combined made our stay wonderful and unforgetable.

We had a hotel car meet and greet us at the airport. I strongly recomend this as it smooths out any potential irritants and you arrive at the hotel feeling your vacation has really begun.

Our hotel room was great, nicely furnished and the bed was to die for.We truely looked to find what brand name was on this sleep set, it was that good.

The hotel restaurant was always pleasent to dine in but some might find it a little expensive. The breakfast buffet was comprehensive and good although I really enjoyed the continental selection over the traditional Egg and meat selection.
We dined there in the evening and found most of the menu appealed to us. In fairness to the hotel we do tend to eat out a lot and can be a little selective.

We had free internet which meant a lot to us as we were waiting for the news of our first grandchild.

The staff as a whole were friendly and helpful and it would be difficult to decide who tried the hardest to serve you. The poolside at lunchtime should not be missed for various reasons!!

During our stay we did make use of the hotel car service it was superior to the regular taxi that we chose to use for shorter journeys. When it was time to leave we had Andre who had been our driver right from the arrival at the airport drive us to the airport and again flawless service The hotel car is a little more expensive but worth every penny, our driver Andre Deslandes made each trip a real pleasure. He even presented us with a disc of Rio at no charge on our departure at the airport. What a pleasant surprise.

Summary.
The Sheraton Barra competed with some upscale name brand hotels on our five week tour of South America. It is an excellent hotel and proved to be the best on our tour.

Before going to the Sheraton Barra, me and my husband read about this hotel in Tripadvisor, so we were very happy with the idea of spending a week there. As soon as we arrived there, the illusion vanished.
The hotel is overpriced; the rooms are big but not well equipped (there is a sink, a pantry and a breakfast table but not stove, micorwave or at least a coffeemaker!); the staff is friendly, but the rooms are not clean enough; the pool is big but boring. The worst issue is the carpet: it is dirty, is always a little wet (because of the high humidity of the seafront) and it smells! Really awful!

After spending a week at the Excelsior in Copacabana, we stayed at the Sheraton in Barra. The grounds of the property are beautiful. Outside of the lobby the way they incorporate the outdoors with the property is really impressive. We were in a suite, which was spacious and quite reasonably priced for the size of the hotel room. However, I'm not sure how much bigger suites are in relation to a standard room.

As others have stated, the property isn't close to much of anything. It seems to be a primarly upper class residential area. If you are staying just for the weekend it wouldn't be a problem, but any longer duration I think it would be an inconvenience having to take cabs to do anything other than hit the beach or the pool (which is very nice, as was the fitness facility).

The one major complaint I had was the beach. Ironically, I felt safer at Copacabana. In Copacabana the Excelsior provided beach towels, chairs, and umbrellas to hotel guests. However, it was unclear if the umbrellas and chairs were exclusive to hotel guests. We were wanting to move the umbrella and chair a little closer to the shore to watch family members in the ocean, but we were not allowed. At Copacabana the hotel's area wasn't close to the shore, but there was a hotel employee right there, so you were able to feel comfortable leaving your things. I didn't feel unsafe, but definitely didn't feel comfortable leaving my belongings unattended. Barra Beach has far less people than Copacabana, but the hotel guest area has everyone packed in like sardines (and unable to move) that you're not able to take advantage of it.

Overall I thought the hotel was great, but the location wouldn't be ideal for people looking to be right in the middle of the action.