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About
4.5
#1 of 11 inns in Saquarema
Location
4.7
Cleanliness
4.4
Service
4.4
Value
3.7
A MOST CHARMING BEACH HOTEL The Maasai Hotel is located 100 km from the city centre of Rio de Janeiro, in the small city of Saquarema, right on the Costa do Sol in Rio's Lake District. The Maasai, beautifully built like a game lodge and decorated in Anglo-African style, stands right on Itaúna beach, where surfers hit the waves. Restaurant & Beach bar open to the general public with a highly praised cuisine and a marvellous view of the ocean. A charming pool in a flowery, orchid-rich setting completes the picture. An experienced staff provides an excellent treatment, as well as a swift room service.
Travessa Itauna 17 Praia de Itaúna, Saquarema, State of Rio de Janeiro 28990-869 Brazil
Name/address in local language
Maasai Hotel Beach & Resort
183 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
We are from Amsterdam the Netherlands and we have been going to brasil since 1988 and are staying each and every year from december till january and the last weak from april and the first weak of may at this hotel. It is splendid relaxing you have got everything. As you know this is an warm country witch causes to have a problem with muscitos. But you have got an remedy for it. The last time we have been there was last year in april/may and we have got the pleasure in buying an house but still visiting the people who work there and laying on the beach at the Maasai. You can do everything at this hotel during the year. If you want to relax you can do that but if you want it to have a lot of fun you can do the same but in Februari then it is carnaval and this is great.
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Date of stay: December 2009
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I have stayed in numerous small, privately-owned hotels around the state of Rio de Janeiro over the last decade and this one is by far our favorite. From the moment you pass through the front gate, you feel like you have stepped into a peaceful, cool oasis. The property is lushly landscaped, with buildings done in a soothing mix of whitewashed walls, dark-stained woods and dark grey paving stones. The reception area and lounge are cool and breezy, opening onto a raised, grassy area in front of the beach with tables and chairs which is bookended by the restaurant and bar. Our room, on the second floor of the garden wing, continued the white, dark brown, and dark grey themes, with a vaulted ceiling and a skylit bathroom. The furnishings are simple but tasteful, with modern fixtures in the bathroom. There was a quiet split-style air conditioner, an adjustable ceiling fan, and a flat-screen television with DVD player. Dark brown shuttered doors opened onto a balcony overlooking the lushly landscaped swimming pool area ands its soothing waterfall. One of our favorite things to do at the Maasai is to sit on the deck by the bar sipping a caipirinha while watching the the sun set over the beach, with its striking vista of the colonial church perched on a rocky promontory extending out into the ocean. At night, the grounds are tastefully lighted to permit continued enjoyment of the landscaping. The food in the hotel restaurant is good and the menu surprisingly diverse, and there are also several other decent restaurants within walking distance of the hotel (our favorite being Casa da Praia, a converted beach-front house featuring grilled fresh seafood about 2 blocks away). The staff are friendly and helpful, though Portuguese is a must. The Maasai is not a Club Med or a Park Hyatt -- it is, though, unlike most small, privately-owned hotels around Rio, a place where the owners work hard to get the details right and provide a comprehensive hotel experience. Note, as well, that Saquarema is not Buzios with a chic shopping/dining downtown area and dozens of beaches to choose from -- it's just a quiet, small beach town with surfer's vibe, in our minds, the perfect place to spend a few days just relaxing and enjoying the beach.
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Date of stay: January 2012
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I grew up going to Saquarema and returned after 30 years. Itauna beach is the best place to be. Maasai is small, beautifully located in this pristine beach and the service was above my expectations in professionalism, friendliness and attention to detail. I am in the wine business and was amazed that Dalia had perfect training in wine service (In Saquarema??). Marcia was also professional and extremely friendly. I will be returning and recommending it!
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Date of stay: November 2014
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Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
After a week in Rio we decided to seek somewhere more relaxed and found this hotel. An email to them confirmed they could accommodate us and arranged a local taxi to collect us. The journey was just under 2 hours from Rio city centre and a great drive and cost less that our original airport transfer!
It had a nice pool, good restaurant, bar area, lounge area and most of all the beach. The staff were very friendly. The rooms were nicely decorated, air conditioned.
Of particular note was the cleanliness of the hotel and grounds. The staff were constantly keeping the area clean and tidy.
We had a fantastic week and would go again in an instant.
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Date of stay: May 2014
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This review covers our experience at Hotel Maasai and Saquarema in general. My husband and I spent 3 nights at Pousada Maasai in September 2010 during our honeymoon in Brazil. We prepaid for all of our accommodations. Upon arriving to the hotel we were shown a selection of rooms and told we could have our choice. After choosing our room, we settled in. We were surprised to open the fridge in our room to find old food and a half eaten chocolate popsicle. There were many bugs in the room. The TV broke the first night. At 5 AM in the morning fireworks were going off right outside our room. They lasted an hour. It was so loud it sounded like gunfire right outside our window. Because of our TV breaking, the staff moved us to another room, where we spent the next two nights. The new room also had many bugs. The waterfall at the pool was out of service. The sauna was not working and the internet was down. Our last evening at Maasai we were heading out to dinner when the front desk girl told us we needed to check out. We were handed a bill for 400 Real and told that we were upgraded at a cost. We were never told in advance that the room they put us in was more than what we prepaid for. After my husband was on the phone with an engish speaking manager for over an hour, we missed our dinner (the restaurant has closed). The manager threatened us and told us that if we didn't pay that they had "different ways of handling things in Brazil." We eventually checked out without an upcharge, hungry and unsettled. I spent the night scared we were going to be murdered, not an exaggeration.
Also, as a warning to travelers to Saquarema in September, the town is dead. There were two beach restaurants open. Most hotels were closed and we were the only people staying at our hotel. The beach is very dirty and there are dead penguins washing up all over the place. There is graffiti everywhere in the town. The water is too rough for swimming and very cold. And if you came to surf, good luck finding a surf shop. The surf school was empty and abandoned. This is NOT the "surfing capital of Brazil" as lonely planet quotes. If you are looking for good waves, head to Itacare. We had an amazing time there and the town was lively and fun even in the off season with a great culture for surfing.
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Date of stay: September 2010
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This hotel has an espetacular view of the beach. Has 3 bedrooms facing the sea and at about 20 bedrooms in other positions The breakfast is varied and has homemade cakes and breads. The bar on the balcony has a stunning view of the sea. The pool is small but cozy and has a small watherfall The restaurant in front of the sea, serves a very good food with fair price. The staff is very polite and attentive. The price for bedrooms, food and beverages is fair. Ideal to relax. I reccomend
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Date of stay: December 2016Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I stayed at the Maasi in May, 2014. The personnel from desk, to dining room to groundskeeping were all friendly and professional. The room was great and the public areas had lots of art on display and were immaculately maintained. We will definitely return on our next visit to Saquarema!
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Date of stay: May 2014
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stay here if u want a good standard hotel right by the beach in Saquarema, for surfing, sun, or just some nice not-so-crowded time off busteling Rio. A safe choice you wont regret but a bit pricy. Unless your all about location - then it`s definitely worth every penny.
Maasai is probably one of the best choices in Saquarema. nicely decorated in African (Maasai style). The most expensive rooms face the beach and the cheeper ones the pool and parking-lot area (a quite nice parking-lot though) Mind - though it sounds very nice with beach front balcony they also face the restaurant and bar, so it might be just a bit noisy, especially during the weekends in high season, but things tend to close up not to late.
The hotel have a smal and nice pool where you can lie in the sun, but the beach should be the preferred choice when in Saquarema. At least for sun bading. For swimming or a chill cool of the pool is the best choice due to the big waves and following currents. And thats one of the main reasons to go to Saquarema and stay at the Maasai. It`s location is at one of the prime surf-spots in Saquarema. Sun, beach and surfing is all what Saquarema is about. The hotel have a few sun-beds at the beach, not many so bring a something to lie on if u wanna tan on the beach. For the size of the hotel it has a quite big reception area where it`s cosy to hang out in the evening.
All rooms come with A/C, toilet, shower hot and cold water, TV, and a small minibar/refrig. so that u can cool of your own water (beer) if u like.
Though Maasai mostly hosts locals its run by a swede. The local staff speak little english so that might be a bit of a challenge but this is the way in most hotels, bars, stores, et.c in Saquarema. But dont worry, it works out well.
The breakfast is simple, but it`s not to bad. Always a good choice of fresh fruits. The restaurant is good. And the menues are now also translated into english.
How to get here: You can reach it by a 20-30 min walk from the busstation along the Av.Oceanica. It`s almost at the end of the road and not very hard to find.
Maasai accept most major credit cards.
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Date of stay: October 2011
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Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A small hotel with a beautiful terrace over looking a white sand beach. The rooms are fine as well as the bathrooms. The included breakfast was pretty good but the view of the ocean made it better. It was a good value for the money.
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Date of stay: February 2016
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chilled out....lovely people.......good food......shame about not having a menu in english!! Atmosphere is nice and relaxed...views are out of this world! Its definitely a day place....beach...surf....walks....at nite its quiet!!
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Date of stay: March 2010Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Saquarema area.
PRICE RANGE
$95 - $98 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
BrazilState of Rio de JaneiroSaquarema
NUMBER OF ROOMS
19
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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