(for my previous hotel reviews, check them out here & here)

Hotel Review: Gran Meliá Iguazú, Iguazú Falls

Nestled in the heart of the rain forested national park, the Gran Meliá Iguazú is unique in that it’s the only hotel built inside Iguazú National Park, just steps away from the entrance. This particular hotel is part of the Gran Meliá, a hotel chain known for its 5-star accommodations in cities like Milan, Jakarta, even Arusha in Tanzania. Therefore, the one in Iguazú is no exception– it offers unparalleled views of the Iguazú falls from your hotel room, along with fine dining and open bars that maximize the views of the waterfalls. And as said, it’s only a quick walk to the national park entrance, which is perfect for beating the lines of tourists who otherwise come from outside of the park (in Puerto Iguazú) for a day visit.

20221121_062432Gran Meliá Iguazú

I stayed in the Gran Meliá Iguazú for two nights; I had the Single Deluxe Falls View Room, with breakfast included. Everything was gorgeous, from the floor-to-ceiling windows in the lobby with views of the waterfall to the perks in the room, including the bathroom opening up to the views outside! But before I let myself get carried away with more details, here’s the breakdown of how I would rate the Gran Meliá Iguazú:

Room: 3.5/5

Don’t get me wrong: my hotel room was gorgeous: lots of natural lighting with a balcony that opened up to views of the Iguazú Falls (I could even see the famous Devil’s Throat)! Room was clean, and the big perk was that the room was an open-floor plan, in that the bathroom even opened up to the views outside– I could literally brush my teeth and shower while seeing the waterfalls!

20221121_082047Hotel room with view

20221121_064138Bathroom with views!

However, the not-so-good: my toilet was slightly broken, which meant I had to repeatedly flush several times for everything to go down, or otherwise it got backed up (TMI, I know, sorry). Additionally, the basic amenities such as bottled water were limited, and I would otherwise have had to pay a lot in order to get more ordered to my room. Overall, as beautiful as the room was, it had a few plumbing problems and limited services as a result.

Location: 5/5

Besides paying for the views in your hotel room, you’re also paying for the convenience of being right in the national park– otherwise, if you’re staying out in Puerto Iguazú, you need to drive at least 20-30 minutes from town into the national park. The only downside is being a bit isolated from the town life, but the national park has the basic stores, including a decent, self-service parrilla restaurant (with some of the best chorizos I’ve ever had), a souvenir shop, and a convenience store for some snacks and water.

20221121_063209Lots of natural lighting in the lobby

Service: 3/5

Check-in staff was friendly and professional, although later on when I tried asking some questions regarding exchanging money and other conveniences, they weren’t very helpful in 1) helping me exchange the money, or 2) pointing me in the right direction to where I could do so. They weren’t rude or anything, but other than checking people in and out, they didn’t really go above and beyond in getting things done quickly (especially with the faulty toilet, which never got resolved). However, the bellboys and doormen were very friendly, which I appreciated.

Food: 3.5/5 

I only ate breakfast at the hotel (and had a couple of drinks at the bar), so I can only rate how the breakfast was. It was buffet-styled, and while the food were hot and fresh, I found the selections more limited than other hotels I’d stayed at in Argentina– considering this is a 5-star hotel with hundreds of clients, I would expect to have more food at the buffet. Regardless, I enjoyed the variety of fresh fruits, and I was also pleasantly surprised to see a few dishes that honored Guaraní cuisine (indigenous group native to Iguazú), including mbeju (cheese flatbread) and chipa (cheese rolls).

20221121_071105Breakfast with a view

Value for money: 3/5

Despite its beauty in a beautiful location, Gran Meliá Iguazú did feel like an older hotel (after all, it opened in 1978) that had a few problems with plumbing and also some worn-out décor, especially in the lobby. I found the service to be just-okay, and given that it costs anywhere from $300 to $600 USD per night, I would expect for the hotel to be a bit more up-to-date and more responsive to issues from its clientele.

Overall: 3.6/5

Thanks for reading! 🙂

— Rebecca

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37 thoughts on “Hotel Review: Gran Meliá Iguazú, Iguazú Falls”

  4. The view from the comfort of your own room is spectacular! Plumbing issues stress me out, but glad to hear it was a minor inconvenience. I’m curious, could you hear the waterfall?

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  7. the location would make up for almost any short comings I imagine. Just to be clear – this is in Argentina and not Brazil, right? I visited the falls from Brazil and stayed in Foz do Iguacu. wish i stayed at the falls that would have been the logical thing to do with less than a day to see them

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  8. Nothing beats a view like that. I like that more and more hotels are opening up the bathroom to make the room feel bigger. (My hotel in Phoenix was like that and I loved it.) Proximity to the park is a huge plus. Bummer about the toilet, though.

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  9. Wow, such a stunning hotel with a magnificent view of the waterfall. It creates a special ambience. Just staring out of the windows would be a pleasure. I love your honest review, and I am sorry to hear about the service being just-okay, especially since five-star hotels are known for providing a very high standard of service, personalized to each guest’s specific needs. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. Right! To have the perks of being right in the national park and with views is one thing, but to be a five-star hotel and provide less-than-stellar service is another. I don’t necessarily need to be waited on hand and foot for luxury treatment, but at least having a working toilet would be nice! 😅

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    1. True! Well, you get what you get! The food in the hotel was okay, albeit limited, but the park’s self-service restaurant was pretty good with solid cuts of meat! You win some, you lose some!

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  13. A solid review, Rebecca. Location, location, location eh? I must say the entire property looks lovely and… well… those views are pretty darn good to say the least. Out of all the issues a hotel room could potentially have dodgy plumbing is a real no-no Not being able to flush properly is such as shitty (no pun intended there actually) situation to deal with. It’s also a pity about the meh service, what was their reaction exactly to you flagging up the plumbing problems?

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    1. Not very responsive, to be honest. Staff were courteous, but didn’t go above and beyond in their services. Any case, the hotel had nice views and excellent location, but that’s about it. But for the experience to stay at this iconic hotel, it was great!

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  16. I know this hotel, it’s where my guide parked the car and then we walked through the terraces, the view of the falls is impressive. To have the chance to enjoy this spectacle is a privilege.

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  18. Hello Rebecca,
    did you book directly or through Booking? I’ve checked prices for upcoming dates and they’re far from your $300-$600 range 🙂 Actually, the cheapest room now starts at almost $900. Thanks for your honest review and photos. The review score on Booking is 9/10, a bit higher than what you gave them 🙂

    Ivo

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    1. The travel agency I went with booked it for me, which was part of the larger, multi-day tour package. So I didn’t directly book it. I also gone in November, so I’m sure prices fluctuate widely between on and off-season. Personally, I found the Gran Meliá underwhelming, especially compared to the previous luxury hotels I’d stayed at in Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, so that colored my review of the place. Thanks for commenting!

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