I just did not realise that as a local, we just go to the same places. And actual hotels were pretty much unknown to me.
Just to be clear, in the area around my B&B, I know all the lodging and restaurants but it is a small town. Here in Rio, I had no clue..
Well, I'm the one that is guilty for making Todd find out all these things he didn't know about Rio! (On the other side... I'm going to Rio...woohoo!)
It's funny how living in the big city there are so many things you don't pay attention to, in your own city. I have locals asking me for advice on restaurants because they get into a rut and well, go to the same places all the time. And I have to warn people about some of the restaurants that they see on TA because... well, because some places should come with caveats and explanations and don't suit everyone. (For example, one place that has a famous chef also plays loud heavy rock music. And another serves very heavy meat heavy meals, not the place for a vegetarian or someone who wants to eat "light".)
I know quite a few of the B&Bs in town and some of the hotels. I don't consider most of the B&Bs in town to be competition, because we all offer a different product. In the summer I refer people to other places, when we are full.
Good news is that we are all set. We reserved our B&B in Rio, we have our ticket and we have Todd's hints! Now we just get to do the running around town part.
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