We have just returned from a week at one of the Amazon lodges. Unfortunately almost all trips to lodges in the Amazon around Manaus require you to stay a night in a Manaus hotel. We asked the lodge for hotel recommendations and finally were forced to try the Hotel Monaco as the other hotels in the list could not accommodate a party of 6. The rate was $70 per room pre night, which was much cheaper than the other hotels we had tried, so we had fairly low expectations.

Just looking at the hotel when we arrived I knew my expectations had been too high. The hotel is positioned in a seedy part of town, and looks very run down form the outside. The reception is OK and checkin went fairly smoothly. We got 3 rooms on 3 different floors (the first floor (2nd if you are American) is under renovation). The rooms are fairly basic and air conditioned, that is if you can get the air conditioner to work. The bathrooms in all 3 rooms were tiny and can fit only one person at a time. They were... more