Some Clarifications (Just In Case)

[trilingual]

Word has trickled back to yours truly that someone may still be spreading the canard that the Hotel Atlantico Copacabana is an unsafe dump and that someone is getting big commissions to push the hotel on this site.

 

THE COMMISSION ISSUE: With one exception, nobody on this site is getting commissions from the Atlantico. I personally don't get any commissions from the Atlantico or anyone else (although I've been treated to a few free dinners by some of the M4Mers -- thanks again, guys!) and neither do any of the other regular contributors to this site, like Tomcal, Gulliver or SFTraveler. Carlo, who is a local travel agent, DOES earn a commission for hotel rooms he sells. That's how travel agents make a living, and there's nothing unethical about that! Carlo has worked out a special rate with the Atlantico for M4M travelers who reserve through him, and the rate is lower than the one quoted over the phone or on the hotel's website, so you'll save money booking through Carlo. However, Carlo isn't PUSHING the Atlantico; he can also help people make reservations at other hotels, if they'd rather stay elsewhere. The Atlantico has become popular because it's reasonably priced, has comfortable rooms, is very gay-friendly, and has location, location, location! But it certainly isn't the only place to stay in Rio.

 

THE SAFETY ISSUE: As far as I know the Atlantico has never been held up, but I can't guarantee that it's never happened. I do think there may be some confusion about the issue, because the Royalty, a hotel very close to the Atlantico on Av. Tonelero, was held up a few years ago. Unfortunately, in the current crime wave, some other hotels have been held up. One is the Mar Copacabana (?) which is the hotel on Hilario de Gouveia next to Corujinha, which was robbed a couple of weeks ago, and last night the Hotel Toledo, a small budget place on Domingos Ferreira, was held up. The moral of this story being that bad things can happen anywhere, and the Atlantico, IMHO, is no more unsafe than any other place in Rio. There IS crime here. It doesn't affect everyone, every day, and the odds of it affecting any individual visitor are still extremely small. Paranoid nervous nellies should NOT come to Rio. Everyone else will still have a FABulous time!

[Guest Tomcal_]

Tri, this doesn't surprise me, as it seems message boards have their share of unhappy people that like to create controversey. But for the record, since I, starting last October, have promoted the Atlantico at much if not more then anyone, I can state, I don't get a commission or even a cheaper rate for my room in spite of all the business I have sent them! LOL Secondly, I have a great well paid day job, so I don't need the few extra reias that I would imagine such a agreement would Pay!! Thirdly enough M4M's have now stayed there, including the 9 of us in April that their would be much discussion on this board if anyone diagreed about the various claims we have made about the Atlantico, as their were certainly no "shy ones" in our group of M4M's.

I have also posted about the Marriott , Shereton and Sol Ipenema, where I have stayed. All are nice(Mariott, very nice)but the advantage the Atlantico has, is as you stated, LOCATION!, and not having any hassles with bringing a visitor to the room, (nearly impossibale at the Marriott)

Fourthly, I seenothing wrong with a agent getting a commission on selling a product, be it a hotel, car or restaurant! It's called capitalism. Have you ever looked up a particualr hotel on the web? About 40 different sites will pop up promoting it.

As far as Safety, we have discussed this at length on various threads, personally I feel as safe there as in Manhatten, where I was with Gulliver this weekend.

[CarloRio]

Yes...

 

Gentlemen I do get commission on all the hotels that I book my customers to! But I also get my customers the best deals, not only in Atlântico, but on Ducasse, Copacabana Palace, Sol Ipanema, Sheraton Barra, Atlantis, Marriott etc...

The only thing I do is try to find out what are our passangers needs and availability so that we can direct them to the best hotel.

 

As we book an average of 12 passangers we do get very competitive fares. And we've been doing that to some M4Mers (Thanks for your business, guys!) and they seem very happy about it. Because they don't have to worry about long distance phone calls, and they feel pretty sure that everything that was agreed with us, will be followed through once they are here...

 

And we don't only that: we organize tours, we have Portuguese tutoring classes, we contact some free-lance escorts (making sure that they are reliable... by checking their conventional phone numbers) etc...

 

And of course we make money doing that (except for the boys, for we don't want to get any commission whatsoever from them), but we are professionals and as professionals we provide professional services not amateur ones... But that has a price!

 

Um abraço,:9

[CT Dick]

>but the advantage the Atlantico has, is as you stated,

>LOCATION!, and not having any hassles with bringing a visitor

>to the room,

 

These are not insignificant!

 

The last stop of the metro is just across the street (needed for 117). Point and Roger's are two blocks up the hill and Estação is one block away. Who can ask for a better spot.

 

The desk didn't give any hassle to my guests or to the boys who came to the gala. That is not true at other hotels. Who really wants ot have to argue with a desk clerk about having a sauna boy come for a visit?

 

Life is good at the Atlantico.

 

Dick