Brazil has some pretty amazing hotels. Whether you’re in a back-to-nature mood and want to experience jungles and rainforests close-up or just want to laze by a big-city pool or on the beach, one of Brazil’s wonderful hotels is sure to make your dreams come true. All you have to decide is when and where you want to treat yourself to luxury while feasting on tempting local cuisines. Adventure? Luxury? The best places to stay in Brazil have both.
flickr/PortoBay HotelsThe five-star Porto Bay Rio Internacional is located in Copacabana Beach, close to tourist attractions, shopping and the metro that will whisk you around Rio de Janeiro in short order. Its 117 rooms either have private verandas or windows with panoramic views. You’ll also find stunning views, including Christ the Redeemer, on the 20th floor roottop terrace. This is the place to be at sunset. Several restaurants serve award-winning cuisine and cocktails. Cross the street to the famous beach; the hotel has a secure area for guests to use.
The DPNY Beach Hotel in Ilhabela is considered one of the top beach hotels in South America. Situated on an island 2-1/2 hours from Sao Paulo, the hotel oozes luxury from beachside seating to its 88 guest rooms. Rooms come with washers and dryers lest your clothes get too sandy from beach activities. Crisp linens on canopy beds with luxe furnishings and seating arrangements contribute to a relaxing feeling. Hotel amenities include a full-service spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and three onsite restaurants.
Araras Pantanal Ecolodge in Pocone offers guests a first-hand opportunity to get up close and personal with nature. The Pantanal is the largest continuous wetland in the world. Located in the center of the South American continent, this ecolodge allows guests to experience the Amazon and Atlantic rainforests, the Brazilian savannah and the flora and fauna that go with it. Rooms are simple but tastefully furnished. The ecolodge’s emphasis is on enjoying your natural surroundings.
The Casa Turquesa is aptly named: doors and window frames are painted turquoise, with touches of this bright color found in décor throughout the guesthouse. The turquoise blends with crisp whites to provide a colorful, yet serene and welcoming, appeal. The guesthouse, with only nine rooms, occupies a restored colonial mansion overlooking the docks of Paraty’s historic center. The boutique hotel, surrounded by other colonial buildings, gives guests personalized flip flops at check-in so they’ll feel more at home.
Guests at the Toca da Coruja rave about this pousada, saying the staff caters to their every whim. The tranquility of this place is marred only by the chattering of monkeys at your window. The hotel offers private bungalows in the jungle that are reached by raised walkways. Considered the top hotel in Praia da Pipa. The inn is small, with amenities including a large tropical garden, two swimming pools, a reading room and buggy rides along the coast.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to stay in a colonial mansion, the Villa Bahia can fulfill your dreams. The pousada is housed in adjoining 17th and 18th century colonial mansions in the historic district of Pelourinho in Salvador de Bahia. The boutique hotel has only 17 rooms, which have been restored to the colonial spirit. You can relax in one of two courtyards or on a rooftop terrace overlooking the historic district while sipping locally grown coffee.
The Art Deco Belmond Copacabana Palace has been welcoming guests since 1923 when it opened right at Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach. It was featured in the 1933 film Flying Down to Rio and has remained a Mecca for the rich and famous for over 90 years, who come to be pampered in luxury, before or after they’ve soaked up some sun on the beach. This Rio landmark offers 229 rooms and suites, a Michelin-starred restaurant, fitness center and beachside services.
Conde Nast Traveler named São Paulo’s Hotel Unique the best hotel in South America in 2015. It’s hard to argue with that assessment, especially when others have ranked it highly, too. Visually stunning, elegant, contemporary and innovative describe this hotel with its 94 rooms and suites; some rooms are color coded to provide unique guest experiences. Skye, the rooftop restaurant and bar, offers stunning views of São Paulo; CNN ranked it among the top 50 stunning rooftop bars in the world.
The Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel makes it easy to commune with nature. It’s built along the Rio Negro. among the treetops of the Amazon jungle; indeed, the honeymoon suite it built 33 metes (110 feet) up a mahogany tree. Monkeys, macaws, parrots and other friendly jungle animals abound on the grounds. The hotel offers rooms and spacious suites; it also offers tree house accommodations if you want to live in the jungle like Tarzan. Two buffet-style restaurants offer Brazilian and local specialties.
The setting for Belmond Hotel das Cataratas is nothing short of spectacular. Nestled in the Atlantic rainforest of Iguassu National Park, the luxury hotel is just a hop, skip and a jump from the famous falls on the Brazil-Argentine border. Staying here gives guests the opportunity to see the falls at times the park is closed to the hotel. The Portuguese colonial accommodation offers a variety of rooms, three restaurants and bars, and activities including swimming, gym and tennis.
You can blame it on the bossa nova when you stay at the Fasano Hotel Rio. This ‘50s and ‘60s retro hotel relives the days when the dance of love was the rage. Located in Rio’s Ipanema district, the hotel’s rooms offer oceanfront views or you can just walk across the street to stroll on the beach. The hotel may be retro-styled, but its 89 rooms accommodate the latest in technology. Rooms in the back may be quieter, but seaside rooms offer views and soothing waves. A private cabana on Ipanema Beach dispenses free beach chairs and bottled water to guests.
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