- Hotel Sofitel (Rio de Janeiro; tel. 0800/241-232 or 021/2525-1232): Considered Rio's best hotel, the Sofitel combines old-world elegance and style with one of the city's best locations, across from the Copacabana Fort and steps from Ipanema.
- Fasano (Rio de Janeiro; tel. 021/3202-4000; www.fasano.com.br) The first-ever complete hotel -- top to bottom, inside and out -- designed by the famous enfant terrible of the design world Phillippe Starck. Rooms and lobby are lovely. The rooftop pool deck is a masterpiece.
- Convento do Carmo (Salvador; tel. 071/3327-8400; www.pousadas.pt). A 17th-century convent in the very heart of a 17th-century city, restored to 21st-century luxury. Unforgettable.
- Marina All Suites Hotel (Rio de Janeiro; tel. 021/2172-1100): The Marina All Suites is Rio's first design hotel; all suites are luxuriously furnished. The two-bedroom oceanview Diamante suite is surely the city's most beautiful suite.
- Portinari (Rio de Janeiro; tel. 021/3222-8800): Designed by eight different Brazilian designers and architects, the hotel offers a wonderful showcase of Brazilian style and inventiveness; everything from the furniture to the lighting and accessories is unique. Best of all, this style doesn't get in the way of comfort.
- Colonna Park Hotel (Buzios; tel. 022/2623-2245): On a hillside overlooking two beaches in Buzios, Colonna Park has one of the best views in town. The elegantly furnished rooms are done in cool blue and white, and the best room in the house has a deck with views of both beaches.
- Unique (S?o Paulo; tel. 011/3055-4700): Extraordinary high-design rooms and suites feature the cleanest-of-clean white-on-white decor, luscious bedding, sparkling bathrooms with Jacuzzi tubs, a plethora of room gadgets, plus a rooftop view of the Avenida Paulista's power skyscrapers and lush green Ibirapuera park.
- Tropical Manaus (Manaus; tel. 0800/701-2670 or 092/3659-5000): The Tropical Manaus is without a doubt the hotel in town. Set in its own piece of rainforest on the banks of the Rio Negro, the hotel is built in an elegant colonial style. Rooms are spacious, and the amenities are top-notch; archery lessons, a zoo, wakeboard lessons, a wave pool, salon, and more await you in the middle of the Amazon.
- Bourbon Cataratas (Foz do Iguacu; tel. 0800/451-010 or 045/3521-3900: Make sure you don't forget to see the falls! The Bourbon Hotel has plenty to keep you busy. Over 3km (2 miles) of trails through orchards and tree nurseries are the perfect place to watch for toucans, butterflies, and parrots. The pool deck has three large pools to soak up those rays or an indoor wave pool and spa for a dreary day. Active types can play a game of tennis, try the climbing wall, and play volleyball or soccer.
Brazil Travel Experiences
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7 Days on the Amazing Amazon River
Mosquito nets blowing in the breeze, hundreds of hammocks hung from floor to ceiling, and the worst slop you have ever tasted! This is th... Continue reading »
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Little house on the River
After sharing a shower with a giant frog, which I was much relieved to hear later wasn't poisonous, I was up early enough (dad you would... Continue reading »
