The Bar/Lounge at Wyndham Rio Barra

"What really sets this hotel apart is its leisure amenities, with two swimming pools and Jacuzzi tubs set in a beautifully landscaped garden, a state-of-the-art fitness center, squash courts, a fully equipped business center, and a trendy lounge"

"Barra is the fastest-growing neighborhood in the city, with vast malls (one has its own monorail), condo complexes, and theme parks, and it's where much of Rio's new money has settled"

"Hotels in Barra will be the closest to events at the Olympic Village and Rio Centro Convention Center, but a little out of the way for general sightseeing"

"These twin towers right on the beach are the best choice for stays in the outlying neighborhoods of Barra da Tijuca and Recreio dos Bandeirantes"

"The first luxury hotel in Barra da Tijuca when it opened in 2003, the design affords every one of the 292 rooms at least a partial view of the Atlantic Ocean"

"It's a long way from Rio's most famous attractions, however, although new fast bus corridors and a planned metro station (scheduled to be in operation in time for the Olympics) mean that Barra now feels less isolated from the rest of town"

"Its 292 rooms are contemporary -- if generic -- and each has a balcony, living room, minibar, and microwave"