Florianapolis Hotel Reviews
When looking for Florianapolis Hotel accommodations in Brazil, keep in mind that most Brazil Hotels don't offer the same comforts that my privately-owned Florianapolis vacation rental home can offer you. Most Florianapolis hotels are expensive, dirty, poorly maintained, in poor locations, and don't offer any type of internet, US phone line, washer & dryer, kitchen, nor air conditioning. Since there are an unlimited number of bad hotels, motels, and pousadas in Florianapolis, I will just give my reviews of the nicest Florianapolis hotels on this page.
Florianapolis Hotels vs. a Private Florianapolis Vacation Rental
For the same price as most nice Florianapolis hotels, you can stay in my Florianapolis vacation home in Praia Mole beach (the best location in Florianapolis) and have all the comforts and luxuries of an American home. But if you insist on staying in a Florianapolis hotel, this Florianapolis hotel review is a good place to start and I will give you my honest opinion of each hotel and their location.
Florianapolis Hotels & Beach Locations
Before booking any type of Florianapolis hotel reservation, you should understand that your location in Florianapolis is very critical to the quality of your vacation. In high season (Dec-March), this becomes exemplified by a factor of 10 as the streets leading to and from the beaches are all 1 lane in each direction. With 42 different beaches on the island and over 1 million people on the island during high season, it doesn't take much to bring afternoon traffic to a halt. High season traffic usually begins around 2 pm and lasts until 9 - 10 pm. During the weeks of Carnival and New Years, traffic will usually lasts until after 11 pm. A drive that normally takes 5-10 minutes can take over 2 hours. Unless you enjoy spending your entire vacation in traffic, you MUST stay within walking distance of the beach, but choose your beach wisely.
There are 42 different beaches on the island of Florianapolis. Each beach is different and attracts different types of crowds. Some beaches are located near a town with bars, restaurants, and nightlife, while most are on the outskirts of the island and can take an hour to drive to town even without traffic. I personally live in Florianapolis 6 months per year and here are the best beaches you'll want to stay at in order of popularity and my personal preference...
Praia Mole Beach
Praia Mole Beach (pronounced Prya Moley) is centrally located on the east coast of the island. Of course, this is the beach my rental home is located but that's not why I prefer it. On the contrary, I bought the home here because it was my favorite beach and location on the island. I could have saved a lot of money buying a house on another beach but as they say in real estate... location, location! Praia Mole beach is just a 5 minute drive from the small town of Lagoa da Concesao, where you'll find a street full of bars, restaurants, nightclubs, a mini-mall, 3 grocery stores, a gas station, multiple gift shops, and boats for lagoa cruises. This is the best location on the island all year round always with lots of people and action, contrary to the north end of the island (Jurere, Ingleses, Santinho, and Praia Brava) that turns into a ghost town 9 months out of the year. With no traffic, Praia Mole is just a 25 minute drive to Centro (downtown Florianapolis), where you can find another shopping mall, a night club, and more restaurants. Praia Mole is also one of the closest beaches to downtown Centro, at least its the closest beach you'd actually want to lay on. Beaches on the west side of the island have little to no sand and are not very attractive. Praia Mole beach is a popular hot spot all year round and is known as the beach for beautiful, fit people. Praia Mole beach is a crescent-shaped low spot lying between two hills on a narrow strip of land that separates the beach from the lagoon, which is why there is very limited real estate in this area. On Praia Mole beach, you'll find several bars/restaurants, a volleyball court, and some of the best surf and scenery on the island. During the summer, the restaurants usually have a DJ spinning with people drinking and dancing until dark.
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Praia Mole Beach (North) |
Praia Mole Beach (South) |
My Praia Mole Beach Vacation Rental
My rental home (below right) is located at Praia Mole beach, the best location in Florianapolis Brazil and includes much more amenities than any Florianapolis hotel can offer. This includes your own private outdoor Jacuzzi, high-speed wireless internet, a US phone line (unlimited free calls to the USA), washer & dryer, air conditioning, airport pickup, and an optional private nightlife tour guide, designated driver, and interpreter. For rental information, please see my home Florianapolis Vacation Accommodations homepage.
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Townhouse complex across from Praia Mole Beach |
My Rental Townhouse across from Praia Mole Beach |
Praia Mole Park Hotel
The Praia Mole Park Hotel is a fairly large resort in a great location with beautiful grounds but the hotel itself is very poorly maintained. I personally stayed at this hotel during my first week in Florianapolis. The kitchen, appliances, and bathroom inside of our bungalow looked like they hadn't been upgraded in 30 years. The floor was dirty and the bathroom floor was cement. I actually wore my sandals in the shower because the shower floor was so nasty. The hotel looks fine from the outside but it's not a place you would want to stay if care about having any level of comfort. Crazy enough, they get very high rates simply due to their ideal location, which is immediately next door to my townhouse complex.
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Praia Mole Park Hotel |
Praia Mole Park Hotel Room |
Praia Mole Park Hotel Grounds |
Praia Brava, Florianapolis
Praia Brava is on the north-east end of Florianapolis Island. It is totally on the outskirts of the island and becomes an absolute ghost town outside high season. However, during peak high season (weeks of New Years and Carnaval), it is teaming with life. There are many condominium complexes that line the beach here and it is known for being a great surf beach. There is a small 1 lane road that connects this entire area to the rest of the island so traffic gets especially bad when attempting to leave Praia Brava during high season, not to mention it's about a one-hour drive north of Praia Mole and Centro without traffic. Praia Brava doesn't have much in the way of a town. There are no places to eat or go out in Praia Brava so it requires a significant drive to do just about anything. The nearest town of significance is Jurere, which is about a 15-minute drive from Praia Brava without traffic.
Praia Brava Hotel, Florianapolis Brazil
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Praia Brava Hotel in Florianapolis |
Praia Brava Hotel Bedroom |
Jurere Beach and Jurere International
Jurere beach is on the north-west end of Florianapolis island. It has no surf whatsoever but is quite popular in the summer months (Dec-Feb). It has several restaurants on the beach that double as nightclubs during New Years and Carnaval. During the summer, this beach will be absolutely packed with beautiful Brazilian women and DJs spinning at the restaurants. The entire town of Jurere Internacional is completely flat (no hills) but is one of the wealthiest areas in all of Brazil, with homes selling for several million dollars (USD), which are primarily summer vacation homes for wealthy Brazilians. Unfortunately, Jurere is a bit on the outskirts of the island and turns into a ghost town 9 months out of the year so this is only a favorable vacation area during the high season summer months (Mid December - February). In Jurere International, you'll find 2 nightclubs (open primarily just during the summer), one grocery store, and just a few bad restaurants. The area is still being developed so it should continue to improve over the next few years.
Jurere Beach Village Hotel
Jurere Beach Village Hotel is the only hotel I know of in Jurere or Jurere International. This is the first hotel I stayed at when I arrived in Florianapolis. The hotel was nice and clean but it was late November and the town was still completely dead. We had to walk several blocks down the beach (to Jurere International) to find any people on the beach. We also had trouble finding a place to eat and none of the hotel staff spoke any English, which didn't help matters at all. They did not have any high speed internet but they did have dialup internet, which we got charged by the minute for.
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Jurere Beach Village Hotel |
Jurere Beach Village Pool |
Jurere Beach Village Hotel Deck |
Ingleses Beach Hotels
Ingleses beach is on the east coast of Florianapolis island, about a 25-minute drive north of Praia Mole beach. Ingleses is a nice beach but is a lengthy 30-60 minute drive to any type of nightlife. The Ingleses Praia Hotel and the Porto Ingleses Hotel are the main hotels you will find in Ingleses.
Ingleses Praia Hotel
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Ingleses Praia Hotel Pool |
Ingleses Praia Hotel |
Porto Ingleses Hotel
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Porto Ingleses Hotel |
Porto Ingleses Hotel Pool |
Porto Ingleses Hotel Lobby |
Santinho Beach
Santhinho is a nice beach near Ingleses on the north-west side of Florianapolis Island. Santinho is a 30-minute drive north of Praia Mole, a 45-min drive from Centro (downtown Florianapolis), and 1-hour from the Florianapolis airport (without traffic). Santinho is another slow area during the off season but during summer, you will find plenty of life. The Santinho hotel (Costao do Santinho) sits right on the beach and is a very expensive 5-star resort. Here you will find some small shops, a few Brazilian style (mom and pop) restaurants, and one low-end nightclub that is closed most of the year. Besides that, there really isn't much else around. While the hotel is nice, the surrounding area is quite poor and relatively undeveloped. If you're looking to experience any nightlife besides the one nightclub next to the hotel, then you should find a more convenient location. This hotel/resort is a good spot for honeymooners but not a great location for singles looking to experience the infamous Brazilian nightlife.
Costao do Santinho Hotel
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Costao do Santinho Resort |
Costao do Santinho Resort indoor Pool |
Downtown Florianapolis (Centro)
Centro is not a beach but is the downtown area of Florianapolis. There is a lot of action in Centro but, unfortunately, the town of Centro is a solid 25 minute drive to the nearest beach when there is absolutely no traffic, and a solid 2-3 hour drive to get back from the beach during high season. This is because the roads to and from the beaches are usually 1 lane in each direction and there are tens of thousands of people leaving the beaches at the same time of day. Centro is littered with high rise buildings (mostly condominiums and some hotels). There is also a nice shopping mall (Beira Mar Shopping) that recently took a back seat to the brand new (and nicer) shopping mall "Iguatemi Shopping" that is located half way between Centro and Praia Mole. The really downtown area of Centro (near the fish market) has lots of privately-owned shops where you will find some of the best deals on merchandise, such as clothes and shoes. Women in particular love downtown Centro for shoe shopping. If you're a woman, then this is the place to buy shoes (not the malls)! Lots of variety and low prices on shoes but everything else in Brazil is usually MUCH more expensive than you'll find in the USA.
Majestic Hotel, Florianapolis Brazil
The Majestic Hotel in Florianapolis sits right on the main highway (Beira Mar) and caddy corner from the Beira Mar shopping mall in Centro Florianapolis. This hotel is known for being expensive and has valet parking with very little public parking. Located in Centro, the nearest beach is Praia Mole, about a 25 minute drive with no traffic and up to a 2 hour drive on the return in high season traffic. There is no internet available in the rooms. Internet is only available in the business center. The hotel has a fancy gourmet restaurant with a great view of the ocean but unfortunately, the only things gourmet about it are the prices, wine glasses, and the view.
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The Blue Tree Tower hotel is a 4 star hotel chain and is the first hotel I stayed in when I first arrived in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It caters primarily to traveling business men. They usually have someone at the front desk that speaks English and all rooms have high speed internet for an additional fee. It is also one of the more expensive hotel chains in Brazil. The Blue Tree Tower Hotel in Florianapolis Brazil is located in the town of Centro (downtown Florianapolis) next to all of the other major hotel chains and high rise condos.
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Blue Tree Tower Hotel in Florianapolis |
Blue Tree Tower Pool in Florianapolis |
Additional
Florianapolis Hotels
More Florianapolis hotels can be found at the following links:
Ilha Da Madeira Hotel Florianapolis Brazil (Centro)
Cambirela Hotel Florianapolis (Centro)
Bristol Lang Palace Hotel Florianapolis, Brazil (Centro)
Parthenon Hotel Florianapolis (Santa Monica, outside Centro)
Cecomtur Executive Hotel Florianapolis, Brazil (Centro)
Rio Branco Apart Hotel Florianapolis (Centro)
Resort And Spa Plaza Caldas Da Imperatriz Hotel Florianapolis, Brazil (Centro)
Sao Sebastiao da Praia Hotel Florianapolis (Campeche Beach)
Pousada Vila Tamarindo Inn Florianópolis, Brasil (Campeche Beach)
Baia Norte Palace Hotel Florianapolis (Centro)
Coral Plaza Hotel Florianapolis Brasil (Centro)
Slaviero Slim Golden Hotel Florianapolis (located on the continent)
Dimas Park Hotel Florianapolis Brasil (near Centro)
Ardentia Hotel & Spa Florianapolis (Beach)
Gaivotas Praia Hotel Florianapolis, Brazil (Beach)
Palace Hotel Florianapolis (Centro)
Ibis Hotel Florianapolis, Brazil (Centro)
Faial Hotel Florianapolis (Centro)
Porto Da Ilha Hotel Florianapolis (near Centro)
Sofitel Florianapolis Hotel Florianapolis, Brazil (Centro)
Bristol Castelmar Hotel Florianapolis (Centro)
Mercure Itacorubi Apartaments Florianapolis, Brazil (15 minutes inland from Praia Mole)
My Praia Mole Beach Vacation Rental
My Florianapolis rental home (below right) is located at Praia Mole beach, the best location in Florianapolis Brazil and includes much more amenities than any Florianapolis hotel can offer you. This includes high-speed wireless internet, a US phone line (unlimited free calls to the USA), washer & dryer, air conditioning, your own private outdoor Jacuzzi, airport pickup, and an optional private nightlife tour guide, designated driver, and interpreter. For rental information, please see my home Florianapolis Vacation Rental homepage.
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Townhouse complex across from Praia Mole Beach |
My Rental Townhouse across from Praia Mole Beach |
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Dining Room |
TV Room |
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Dining & TV Rooms from Kitchen |
Private Jacuzzi in Backyard |
For more information on my Florianapolis Vacation Rental in Praia Mole beach, please visit my homepage.
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