Windsor Guanabara Hotel
The Windsor Guanabara is a four-star hotel in downtown Rio at the corner of Rio Branco and Presidente Vargas streets. It has over 540 rooms, a swimming pool, restaurant, fitness center, sauna, and multiple meeting spaces designed to serve business travelers and tourists.
The hotel was founded over 30 years ago by a group of friends led by José Orero from Spain, who settled in Brazil as a young man and worked in restaurants. Starting small, they recognized the location's potential for business travelers and expanded into a successful chain with properties throughout the city.
The hotel stands beside the Candelária Church, a well-known building with a distinctive tower that shapes the city's character. This location connects guests with a significant gathering point where the rhythm of Rio's daily life unfolds around them.
The hotel is a short walk from the main Uruguaiana train station and the modern VLT train station at Candelária, which offers quick access to Santos Dumont Airport. Parking is available but costs extra Monday through Thursday, though it is free on weekends.
The hotel was built on an old, run-down building that the founders saw had potential and transformed into a thriving business hotel. This transformation shows how confidence in a neglected location and hard work led to the creation of an established hotel chain.
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