I feel cheated by the Mélia Hotel. Let me explain: I made a reservation via Booking.com, where the…read moreMélia Hotel was featured as a luxury property. Reviews on TripAdvisor seemed to back this up and so I booked it. When I arrived at the hotel I realized that my reservation was not for the luxury part of the hotel, but for the...well...less posh part of this complex. Upon further investigation I finally came across the crux of the matter - the fine prints in my booking confirmation: "Please note that the rooms are located in a building complex with 3 hotels from the Meliá chain. Guests booking the Executive King Room and Planalto Suite will be accommodated at the Brasil 21 Convention hotel. Guests staying at the Brasília Suite or Superior Room will be accommodated at the Brasilia 21 hotel. Both hotels are less luxurious than the Meliá." I was allocated to the Brasília Suites and while the room was definitely suite-like in its proportions, it's not what I had expected -both from a furnishing, nor from a cleanliness point-of-view. (For example, I saw a pill from a former guest on the bedside table and the towels from the former guests were still hanging on the hook behind the door.) Overall, the hotel itself is run-down and generally in just a bad condition. Don't get me wrong, if I had known what I signed up for, this would've all been less of an issue. Yet, given that I paid - what I feel is a substantial amount of money (US$250/night) - I would have really enjoyed a bit more luxury. This was simply a rip-off! Granted: The staff were all very nice, especially the lady making omelets in the morning deserves a mention! General note on hotels in Brasília: Honestly, there's not much choice when it comes to decent hotels in Brasília - there doesn't seem to be any boutique hotels or cute B&Bs;?most of the hotels are business hotels à la Comfort Inn. Plus, given the city's layout, all hotels are located in one part of the town, which is also known as the hotel district. (There's districts for everything here: areas where you can buy electronics, areas where you find mostly pharmacies, etc.)

I got really lucky with my recent stay in Brasília. Originally, I had some trouble finding an…read moreupdated, modern hotel with amenities (gym, wi-fi), and then I came across Melia Brasil 21. It's a big hotel with a handful of different options and I stayed in Bloco D, which appears to be the most updated building. I also booked a room that had access to LEVEL, their VIP lounge of sorts with snacks, happy hour, and the perfect business/meeting area. My 12th floor room was pretty nice and of the executive variety: king bed, fancy desk, leather reading chair. I have to say, I was pretty happy with it. Even better, the hair dryer is one of the best I've seen in a hotel room. Secret tip: there may be a humidifier in the closet (use this at night!). The rooftop pool is small and narrow, but it gets the job done if you just need a quick dip. As for the gym, sadly it was under construction during my stay, so I ended up using the makeshift temp gym on the pool floor. There were only 2 dated treadmills and one exercise bike and with no A/C or fan, the space got pretty hot (and dry). As for the location, it's pretty decent. Walking right outside the hotel, you'll find shops, restaurants, like Fogo de Chao, so in a city where walking places isn't really an option, it's nice to have everything you might need within a few feet. This is definitely the place I'll stay during future visits to Brasília. And always, I'll stay in Bloco D.