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Hey Guys,
Just wanted to take the time to introduce myself to the board.
I am David the owner of [url]www.gringomanagement.com[/url]
Gringomanagement offers fully furnished vacation apartments in Copacabana, Ipanema and Leme. We have recently started offering units in Salvador Bahia.
The majority of our units are close to the beach and action.
I lived in Rio for 4 years and in the North of Brazil for 2 years.
I have extensive knowledge of Brazil, Real Estate, Business in Brazil, Marriage, Visa's, Garotas ... etc.
I am looking forward to becoming an active member of the board!
Bill and Mel finally completed their much anticipated Rio Adventure - what a trip in so many ways - but firstly I must do a bit of housekeeping first - Mel you please feel free to chip in with your comments at any time.
Firstly the apartment we rented was an ABSOLUTE FUCKING DISASTER - we used Gringo Management (GM) to book this apartment and I will NEVER EVER use them again.
I did contact GM on my return to Australia and requested recompense for this disaster but it was refused so I will now post my honest and accurate impression of the fiasco.
Here is how the apartment is described on their web site - Modern Luxury Duplex Penthouse Apartment - here is the url - [url]http://www.gringomanagement.com/2bedroom.html[/url] and we paid US$170 / night.
When Mel and I first discussed this vacation we kinda decided on going for a 'top end' place with 'double showers' in both bedrooms so we could play with the girlies.
After I found these so called "Modern Luxury Duplex Penthouse Apartments" I had a number of emails between myself and GM and I specifically asked the question "Are the showers double showers as in can 2 people comfortably shower together?"
Hers is the response I got from GM - "Are the showers double showers as in can 2 people comfortably shower together? Yes"
OK after much discussion with Mel and considerable review of the Apartments we decided to rent 1 solely on the basis that they had "double showers" as we both love playing with the girlies in the showers.
BIG MISTAKE.
The response from GM that they were double showers and that 2 people could comfortably shower together was an absolute LIE in relation to the shower downstairs - it was as single shower. No big deal you might be saying - well let me continue.
The beds were absolute CRAP - they were almost impossible to sleep on. El cheapo wooden slatted bases with 5 inch foam mattresses on top - no sprung base - no support of any type or form - like sleeping on a morticians slab - I would suggest these beds would be buyable at any flea market on any weekend for $20 - hardly becoming of a "Modern Luxury Duplex Penthouse Apartments". These beds were almost impossible to sleep on - were totally unsatisfactory for fucking on - it was totally out of the question to have a girl sleep the night - it just did not work.
But wait there is more.
There was totally insufficient curtaining / blinds to stop daylight filtering into the room as soon as the sun started to rise - they had these pissy bamboo type slatted blinds which may have been decorative but were totally inefficient at stop light entering - once again hardly good enough for a "Modern Luxury Duplex Penthouse Apartments".
The level of traffic noise from early morning on was unbelievable. Yes the apartment faced a main road - yes maybe I should have checked this - yes it is / was world cup football time - BUT - I still would have thought a "Modern Luxury Duplex Penthouse Apartments" may have had sufficient glazing / noise prevention that might have allowed some sleep after 6am each day.
The aluminium windows and doors rattled incessantly as soon as there was any wind / air movement outside - which there was most of the time once again hardly what I think would normally be the case in "Modern Luxury Duplex Penthouse Apartments".
And now for the toilet upstairs - IT WOULD NOT FLUSH FOR 4 FUCKING DAYS. The first time I tried to flush it just would not work. I literally had to bucket water into it for first 2 days to get rid of the turds.
I contacted the GM representative next morning who arranged the 'fix-it' man to visit - he left with the problem still existing. I finally had to remove the lid from the top of the cistern and I finally got it to a situation where I could get it to flush but only by physically putting my hand inside the cistern EVERY TIME and manually operating the flush system - once again hardly what I would have thought one would be required to do in a "Modern Luxury Duplex Penthouse Apartments".
Finally after 4 days 'fix-it' man returned and did get it working.
Oh and the main light in Mel's bedroom downstairs did not work and it took 3 days to get 'fix-it' man to change a globe.
OK OK I can here some of you saying this is just Rio - maybe so - maybe not.
Here is a link to the apartment I stayed in last October - [url]http://www.rioapartments.se/default.asp?c=...subcat2=421&id=[/url] - it is the first apartment listed on this page. This apartment - unlike the one we rented through GM - was exactly as described on the site - but it only had a single shower - so I did not rent it again.
The point I am trying to make with this comparison is that the false and misleading representations that GM made as to the quality of the "Modern Luxury Duplex Penthouse Apartment" that we rented turned what was going to be my 'trip of a lifetime' into what was almost a disaster. I was trying to survive on something like 2-3 hours sleep per night - it was fucking impossible to sleep in THAT APARTMENT with all the problems associated with it.
If GM had been honest with that initial question - "Are the showers double showers as in can 2 people comfortably shower together?" - where they answered YES - which led me to rent this apartment - had they been honest and said NO - then none of this negativity would need to be appearing and it would have saved a lot of embarrassment to a lot of people.
NEVER EVER AGAIN WILL I CONSIDER USING GRINGO MANAGEMENT TO BOOK AN APARTMENT.
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Guys,
I really, really did not want to have to post what I posted above - but I feel so aggrieved by this whole affair I just had to do this - there is a final 'kicker' to this whole affair but you will need to wait to the final day of this report - UFB.
Mel's Take on the Apartment Provided by Gringo Management
My first reaction to the apartment that Gringo management described as a luxury apartment was that the place was more or less a dump. Words having meaning and in Rio luxury suggests almost as good as the Marriott. The apartment we were provided was terrible in many ways. The bed was just a thin mattress on a wood slab-not even a queen size bed. The aircondtioner was set way up out of reach so you could not adjust the temperature controls without standing on a chair! The Ac was from two old loud wall units. The floor was not carpeted at all. We were promised that we would have two walk in showers. This was a must for me but we were simply lied to and told we had two walk in showers when we did not. The pool is little more than 5 by 6 more a cold tub than a pool. The street noise is horrible. The lobby is out of the 1950s. (the front desk staff were nice) The living room furniture (a small plastic covered counch and a chair) is way below low end Walmart Quality (I think you could find it for 10.00 in a yard sale) The TV was on a stand like out of a college dorm. In Order to run that a lap top you end up with cords everywhere as the number of electrical outlets is too small (I am sure the electrical outlets are way below American codes.) The door keys were a pain to use. We had as BBB said problems with the lights and the toilets-the repairman said the problems came from the fact that the fixtures were all of very low quality. We came to see the apartment as more or less a joke. I can see why Gringo management wants payment in advance as I cant imagine any one paying 180.00 or so a day for this place after seeing it. It is way below the quality level of tthe Princess Copacabana hotel. I attach some pictures of the hotel to validate my point. (it should be noted that Priscilla is not included in the rent) The picture of the TV set shows the tv in one of the bedrooms-the ceiling fan shows how cheap the fixtures all were. The TV set and its stand speak for them selves. IF BBB and I did not both have a good sense of humor we would have been even more upset by this worse than a motel six quality apartment. it became a standing joke with us and others who saw it when we told them it had been advertised by Gringo Management as luxury. The beds were so small you really could not have a comfortable sleepover if you wished. The beds were low to the ground and would work well as the set for a remake of "Animal House". We bought our own toilet paper as none was provided. I would not stay there again for $100.00 a night let alone the $180.00 we paid. Everything BBB says is correct and if anything he is to kind!
Yodcha and others,
Did the apartment mentioned in the post not resemble the web picture at all?
I have had the switch-a-roo put on me by gringo once and was a little upset. I have also been promised Cable-TV by gringo only to have 3 Brazilian channels.
I have used them quite a few times and only once has the apartment truly resembled the photo. However, only once has the apartment been much worse.
Can others chime in about there experiences with gringo, please?
And do you think it is the owner, or is it the locals who are pulling the switches by themselves?
Again, I would like to mention that the majority of my experiences with gringo have been satisfactory.
TJ
[QUOTE=TJ Fannatic]Yodcha and others,
Did the apartment mentioned in the post not resemble the web picture at all?
I have had the switch-a-roo put on me by gringo once and was a little upset. I have also been promised Cable-TV by gringo only to have 3 Brazilian channels.
I have used them quite a few times and only once has the apartment truly resembled the photo. However, only once has the apartment been much worse.[/quote]Can others chime in about there experiences with gringo, please?
And do you think it is the owner, or is it the locals who are pulling the switches by themselves?
Again, I would like to mention that the majority of my experiences with gringo have been satisfactory.
I am sure the descriptions of the apartments posted on the web page are written by Gringo Managment not the local owners. On the last day a woman in the lobby stopped us and asked us how much rent we paid-we told her and she said she also owned a Penthouse apartment and would rent it to us for less next time.
In my limited experience in Rio with apartments what I have learned is if you find an apartment that meets most of your needs then you should stick with it. I have only rented 2 different apartments in Rio, the one I always rent right now is not perfect but for the most part it fits my needs. Yes if you were spending $170 a day then you certainly have a right to expect a lot but I'm not sure how readily available a double shower is going to be available in Rio, here I think your expectations were a little high and unrealistic. If you had an apartment in the past that fit most your needs but didn't have the double showers then I think that is the apartment you should have stuck with.
Live and learn, in the future all of your decisions will be based upon you mistakes of the past and someday you will return from Rio with no complaints but nothing was perfect, it's all about experience.
[QUOTE=Rio Bob]In my limited experience in Rio with apartments what I have learned is if you find an apartment that meets most of your needs then you should stick with it. I have only rented 2 different apartments in Rio, the one I always rent right now is not perfect but for the most part it fits my needs. Yes if you were spending $170 a day then you certainly have a right to expect a lot but I'm not sure how readily available a double shower is going to be available in Rio, here I think your expectations were a little high and unrealistic. If you had an apartment in the past that fit most your needs but didn't have the double showers then I think that is the apartment you should have stuck with.[/QUOTE]Well you have a good insight if you find what works stick with it-my point is that we were told it had two double showers-that does not seem like a huge expectation in a luxury apartment -if it did not have it we should not have been told it did have two double showers-our expectation was that we would not be totally given false infomration-a double shower is not like two Jacussi or a heliport-not that big a deal to have so I dont thinbk our expectatins were too high and even if they were that is not really relevant.
If the apartment was on the 11floor of 94 R R P, then I rented the same apartment that you rented for $110 a night, not from Gringo management but from rioapartments. I thought the layout was great but the furnishings and in particular the bed sucked. I was moved over to another apartment accross the hall, owned by the same guy. This apartment had a great view, but again the bed sucked big time. I actually spoke to the guy from the company about the beds and he said the owner put some steel reinforcing rods in the bed - what an idiot!!! The beds just sucked. The pity is the apartment could have been awesome if just a little bit of thought and a tiny bit more money was spent on it.
In the last few years I have read posts about gringomgmt. apartments with accusations of bait & switch. This is what I found while shopping for apts. for my upcoming trip to Rio.
I saw pictures & descriptions of an apt. I liked on rua Bolivar. I found the same apt. on 4 different apartment rental web sites, I e-mailed them all asking about price & availability. 3 of them e-mailed me back saying that the apartment was unavailable for that time period. Guess what? Gringo mgmt. said the place was available. If this isn't a set-up for bait-&-swithch nothing is.
I found another apt. I liked on rioapartments.com, also on rua Bolivar near the beach which I inquired about. Rioapartments.com said the place was unavailable. Surprise, surprise, gringomgmt. said the place was available. Very suspicious don't you think?
So while I haven't personally been put in a place I didn't book, it looks like I was being set up for such a swindle. In my opinion David is a liar, a cheat & a theif.
Happy mongering,
Caipirinhas & Termas Forever,
Shemp
Hi to all,
I stayed with GM in November of 2005 in Rio. It was a bate and witch with me also. However, it ended well for me. The were three of us. I reserved a three bedroom from the website. When I arrived, we were shown a differt three bedroom that was so old that it was unacceptable. So, we were given a one bedroom and a two bedroom apartment that was nice, for the same price as a three bedroom. This was OK for us because it was what we really wanted from the start but we did not request it because I did not want to hurt the feelings of the third person by telling him that the two of use did not want to room with him in Rio. I like GM because Divid accepts Paypal for deposites. Does anyone know of another apartment rental company that accepts Paypal for a deposits?
I've used Kenn on my last three trips - am currently here for a month. He uses PayPal for deposits. Kenn is from NY, has lived in Rio for five years, and has always been helpful (in a timely manner) with any problems. He΄s on the ground here - unlike David S. who is in the States. I've never read of anybody having problems with Kenn.
I used David on my first two or three trips here - never had a problem two and three years ago when I did. However, when I contacted him several times over the last year for information, I didn't find him as quick and responsive as in the past. It took four or five days to hear back from him on my last request.
Kenn just began to inspire more confidence in me. David seems to have lost his edge for this business.
Overall I think gringo gives adequate service. However, the apartments are little overpriced and I think that is why you get the angry responses here. For what you are paying you should get a better bed, rather than the flimsy mattress supported by a wooden board. And the pictures on the web should correspond with the apartment you get once in Rio.
But in the end Brazil is a third world nation and things are never going to be perfect.
TJ
[QUOTE=Big Jon]Hi to all,
I like GM because Divid accepts Paypal for deposites. Does anyone know of another apartment rental company that accepts Paypal for a deposits?[/QUOTE]My first time in Brasil I used GM and just like everyone here I was so disappointed with the apartment, and I think there was even an incident that i was shagging a girl and the damn bed fell apart. Anyways while I was there I met this guy Nereu Caldeira (21 2256 2264) that's his number [url]www.globecondos.com[/url] is his website and he does take paypal and he is actually in Rio so if there is any problem you deal with him directly not like GM.
Ok Maylay. You are right that I may be being a little too easy on David S. (gringomanagement) And, first timers probably should avoid him. For regulars, like myself, I can always find another place when I get there.
So my disclaimer is that my comments were geared more towards regulars. Newbies should go elsewhere. Avoid gringomamagement as Maylay says!
But renting an apartment is still preferable to staying in a hotel. All of us regulars agree on this point.
So other than kenn can you guys provide us with some more reliable renters?
I think copacabanaholiday.com.br is reliable. They are listed in Lonely Planet and Fodors travel guides. However, they have a lot of rules and a fairly high deposit.
TJ
[QUOTE=Yodcha]When Mel and I first discussed this vacation we kinda decided on going for a 'top end' place with 'double showers' in both bedrooms so we could play with the girlies.
After I found these so called "Modern Luxury Duplex Penthouse Apartments" I had a number of emails between myself and GM and I specifically asked the question "Are the showers double showers as in can 2 people comfortably shower together?"
Hers is the response I got from GM - "Are the showers double showers as in can 2 people comfortably shower together? Yes"![/QUOTE]Ok, what I have learned about some apartments on all of these websites is that some of these apartments are on other websites as well. So I have found that if I want to get a clearer picture of what an apartment looks like then I Google the address and see if it is being advertised somewhere else with different pictures. I have done this and in most cases I ended up with more information and better equipped to make a decision about my needs.
I goggled the address of the apartment in question here; there are 2 of them identical in that building the Penthouses. I saw pictures of both showers, pretty good pictures for someone who was interested in the size of the showers to make a good decision on. One shower looked larger than the other which you might expect as the master bathroom might have the larger shower. Everybody has their own tastes and level of tolerance, I could fit in that shower with 1 girl but maybe not 2. The other shower is smaller but I think 2 could squeeze in. Anyway my point is that going forward we can all be better informed consumers by doing some due diligence.
[url]http://rentalo.com/properties/images/214762.html[/url]
The following 2 lines were in the description about the apartment:
o 2 marble bathrooms, one of them in the suite.
o Big mirrors, new toilets, big showers.
I believe this is the other Penthouse, this site has a clearer picture of the shower upstairs, from what I can see if someone asked me if this was a double shower or not I would say it is a very big shower: Click on the photo section and then click on the bathroom upstairs
[url]http://www.moveandstay.com/rio_de_janeiro/rio-de-janeiro-maracana-penthouse-6901.asp?id=6901[/url]