What it’s like to stay at the Best Western Shalimar Hotel in Porto Seguro – Great location

The Best Western Shalimar, in Porto Seguro, stands out for its strategic location, close to the airport and local attractions, in addition to offering comfortable facilities and complete leisure areas. Despite some signs of wear and tear in parts of the hotel, ongoing renovations reinforce the commitment to quality, making your stay a relaxing and unique experience.

Porto Seguro or Arraial D'Ajuda? When it comes to choosing a place to stay to enjoy a well-deserved break, doubt always reigns. Something that surprised me when we booked our tickets to Porto Seguro was the number of complaints about the poor reviews of hotels and inns in the region.

Staying between Porto Seguro and Arraial D'Ajuda seemed like a challenge in terms of accommodation. I always check reviews on Google, and not on accommodation platforms (which seem to have a positive bias), and the only hotel that had positive reviews was the Best Western Shalimar.

But would it meet our expectations? Let’s find out now in this article.

Location and Parking

Best Western Shalimar in Porto Seguro | Hotel facade – Credits: Alessandra Sabbag

The Best Western Shalimar is located in Porto Seguro, on Praia do Cruzeiro, on Av. Beira Mar, and is very close to the airport, just an 8-minute drive (we took an Uber there). In addition, practically on the corner of the hotel are the stairs that lead to the Historic Center of Porto Seguro, which you should visit at some point.

A 10-minute walk will take you to Passarela do Álcool, full of restaurants, bars and souvenir shops, as well as pharmacies, mini shopping malls, etc. And for those who like to walk a little further, 2 km from the hotel, you will be at the ferry that takes you to Arraial D'Ajuda.

It is important to note that BW Shalimar is located quite far from Taperapuan Beach, meaning that if you want to visit the famous Axé Moi or Toa Toa stalls, you will have to order a ride using an app. There are gas stations nearby and the hotel offers free, secure parking if you are thinking of renting a car.

The beach in front is not suitable for swimming, but the hotel delivers on its promises and you probably won't need to leave. However, don't expect much infrastructure in the little square in front. It is literally in front of the avenue and there was not much pedestrian traffic or lighting.

The hotel is the only highlight of good structure, security and comfort.

Check-in and Reception

Right at the entrance I found the decor of the entire hotel to be sensational. A mix of rustic and modern, in a large space with sofas, television, armchairs, wooden chairs and lots of corridors.

Best Western Shalimar in Porto Seguro | Reception area – Credits: Alessandra Sabbag

The reception was quick and almost instantaneous for the moment of check-in (and check-out too) and soon one of the hotel staff took us through the long corridors to our apartment. It is important to note that there are no elevators!

Guests can also borrow bath towels completely free of charge for their outings or poolside.

Bedrooms and bathrooms – space and renovation

Shalimar offers three accommodation options, all with a balcony: Standard, Luxury and Master Suite. The latter is ideal for families, as it has 55 square meters with a bedroom and living room, as well as a hot tub, bathrobes and bathrobes.

All rooms have amenity kit including soap, shampoo, conditioner, shower cap, goose down pillows, air conditioning, hairdryer and even a mirror for women to do their eyebrows and makeup. They also offer room service, beauty and massage services and laundry services.

Best Western Shalimar in Porto Seguro | Luxury Room – Credits: Alessandra Sabbag

Something that I found to make a big difference and that we don't often find in other hotels is the option of a small clothesline, the kind that you fold up like a ribbon so it's not visible, on the balcony, to dry wet clothes – instead of using chairs or the balcony railing itself.

The room is spacious, with a queen-size bed, table and chairs, full-length mirror, and a wardrobe. The balcony is also large and is adorned with plants and flowers. Our view was of the pool and the entire green area of ​​the hotel, which was very relaxing and pleasant.

I noticed that most of the rooms had the same view, however, some faced the avenue and parking lot and a few faced the neighboring land, which had many old and abandoned things. We met a couple who stayed in one of these rooms, but they commented that apart from the view, the room itself was great and more modern than ours.

The Luxury room we stayed in had an older wardrobe and the bathroom also showed signs of needing renovation. The ceiling was moldy and made of plastic, and needed painting. But when we went to check out, we saw that a wing of the hotel was being renovated and they let us in to see an apartment that was already finished – everything was more modern and cleaner. They're going to renovate everything little by little and from what I saw, it's going to look really cool!

Best Western Shalimar in Porto Seguro | View from our balcony – Credits: Alessandra Sabbag

Oh, and there's another really cool detail: they provide two 500ml bottles of water for guests every day, free of charge. And of course, they also provide an electric kettle so you can make your own tea or instant coffee, which they also provide free of charge.

Breakfast and Restaurant

Best Western Shalimar in Porto Seguro | Breakfast options – Credits: Alessandra Sabbag

Breakfast at the Best Western Shalimar Hotel is served on the ground floor, near the reception, in a large, very well-organized area, where the nature in the background of the hotel is its own painting canvas – they throw some fruit there, so it is possible to see several birds.

There were several options of pies (sweet and savory), cakes, breads (plain and stuffed), fruits, cheeses, juices and drinks, cheese breads, eggs, as well as yogurts, granola and gluten-free and lactose-free options for those with dietary restrictions. At the end, a Tapiocaria was available to prepare a sweet or savory tapioca – cheese, cheese and ham, chicken, dulce de leche, beijinho, etc. – according to the customer's request. I found it to be very complete.

We didn't use the restaurant, but we did use the pool bar (we'll talk about it later). The options didn't have a huge variety of dishes or fair prices, but they did offer pizzas and sandwiches, drinks and beverages, and seafood dishes.

Best Western Shalimar in Porto Seguro | Space reserved for breakfast at the hotel with Tapiocaria – Credits: Alessandra Sabbag

Leisure Areas and Pool Bar

Shalimar has three swimming pools: a huge one, with a bridge and waterfall, which is perfect for all guests; a children's pool, right next to a mini playground with some toys for children to spend hours there; and an equally small, heated pool.

Children's area of ​​the hotel, with swimming pool and mini playground. Next to it, the stairs that lead to the other leisure areas – Credits: Alessandra Sabbag

At the end of the day, when it was already a little cool, it was impossible to stay in the larger pool, so all the guests went to the heated pool, which did not always have room for everyone. One day, it was full of adults and children, the next we found it empty and enjoyed it for hours and hours.

Every morning, a hotel employee would clean the pools, well before guests started eating breakfast. Next to the heated pool, there was a bar where you could order sandwiches, drinks and ice cream, and we even had a hamburger (R$32, a very fair price) that was very tasty. With two or three employees, we were always well served and with a smile on our faces.

There are also the bathrooms and the sauna, which had an incredible eucalyptus smell that spread throughout the pool area every time someone left or entered.

On the other side of the hotel is the gym, very well equipped with various machines, treadmills, bikes, dumbbells, weights, etc., for those who don't miss out on physical activity even on vacation, and the games room, with a pool table, snooker and table football.

Academy – Credits: Alessandra Sabbag

In addition, the hotel also had an upper part, full of trees, with tables, chairs, hammocks, a space with a sofa and cushions and more bathrooms, which was a wonderful place to feel the peace of the place.

And there is one more detail that will please those who love taking photos: some spaces, spread throughout the hotel, are Instagrammable.

Best Western Shalimar in Porto Seguro | Another one of the hotel's leisure and relaxation areas, with sofas and a hammock – Credits: Alessandra Sabbag

Loyalty Program

It is worth remembering that the Best Western chain has more than 18 hotel brands spread across more than 100 countries, and that it has its own loyalty program: Best Western Rewards.

The program itself doesn't offer many benefits and still needs to be better developed. It has five categories – Blue, Gold, Platinum, Diamond and Diamond Select – and you can move up in status very quickly. In fact, last year they even created a very “different” status match, without having to prove your status in another program.

With Rewards, you accumulate points for every night you stay or can use them to get free nights (starting at 5,000 rewards points), get exclusive rates for club members, points that never expire and late check-out or early check-in.

Reservations

For more information about the hotel, as well as to make your reservations*, visit this page .

* Please note that Pontos pra Voar will receive a commission on reservations made through the link above.