The hotel was located right on the beach & has a wonderful view. Everything was very clean & the staff was TRULY bilingual & went above & beyond to make our stay pleasant. They went the extra mile to get any information we needed in regards to the city, be it finding a good restaurant, needing directions, etc. Just one block from the hotel are many eateries, (including a McDonalds for those of you can't get away from fast food) and a quick 5 minute walk leads you to a market (Bompreco) where you can load up on water & snacks for your room. (since the mini bar in all hotels can add up) Adjacent from the hotel is Bahia Pestana & right next the the hotel Mercure is Ibis hotel. Ibis Hotel has a travel service Prive Tour that can schedule MOST tours out of Salvaor, can exchange money for a fair rate (if you didn't exchange enough), & has a value continental breakfast for R$10. (that's about less than $5 U.S) The hotel is only about 10-15 minutes from Barra Beach & the Lighthouse, 20 minutes from Pelhourinho, & 30 minutes from Igrega de Bomfin by taxi. Taxis are easily accessible as they are waiting on the street in front of the hotel to provide service for any of the three hotels. The fitness room was clean and had 4 treadmills, 2 upright bikes, weight training equipment, & a steam suana room. I slept in a double w/ 2 single beds & it was comfortable. The linens were clean & the tile floors were swept daily. Having a plasma tv was great, but unfortunately the satellite was down so it made it very unclear. Overall, Mercure Hotel is HIGHLY recommended!