Anavilhanas Lodge

The Fasano Rio is the most stylish hotel in Rio. Set on Ipanema beach front and designed by Phillipe Starck, this is a stunning property. The Fasano brings an air of understated cool and luxury that has been somewhat lacking in some of the other beach-front hotels in Rio. The rooms are immaculately decorated with a combination of period pieces, original artwork and chic-modern style. We recommend the Deluxe sea view category or above. Each has a private balcony with views out to sea and king size beds with Egyptian cotton sheets and goose down pillows. For that extra touch of luxury and pampering, there is also butler service. The facilities include an excellent bar, perhaps the city’s best seafood restaurant and a stunning rooftop infinity pool.

Actually inside the national park on the Brazilian side, this luxury property is ideally located. Walking out from the lobby one can hear the thunder of the falls and the hotel is surrounded by lush tropical rainforest. The hotel has been recently refurbished throughout to a high standard and in keeping with the colonial mansion style of the hotel’s original design. The hotel has large rooms with high ceilings, hard wood flooring and period style furniture. There is a large pool area in the rear to relax at with a drink after a day exploring the falls.

Casas Brancas is one of Buzios’ coolest hotels. Formerly two colonial mansions, the hotel’s whitewashed walls and understated high-quality decor make it a great place to relax and unwind. The hotel is superbly located, looking out across the sea but also close to the main ‘Rua das Pedras’ street where many of the best restaurants and bars are to be found. The facilities at Casas Brancas include a pleasant pool area and veranda, and excellent spa facilities.

Uxua is undoubtedly one of Trancoso’s most stylish offerings. Run by Wilbur Das, creative director of the Diesel fashion label, there is great character and attention to detail, all with a rustic theme that merges effortlessly with the local setting. Accommodation is set in a number of private ‘Casas’ each with a unique style and character and ranging from one to three bedrooms; one is even a tree house. As a stunning centre-piece to the accommodation is the pool, lined with 40,000 turquoise aventurine quartz stones (native to Bahia) standing as a testament to the careful and painstaking care taken to create a hotel that is at once unique but with roots in the location it is based. The hotel is located on the ‘Quadrado’ or village square of Trancoso and has a spa with an extensive range of treatments. The restaurant is excellent, with many of the fruits and spices grown in the hotel’s own gardens. Many of the ‘Casas’ have their own full kitchen and local chefs can be brought in to give you a lesson in local cuisine. The Casas themselves are large and equipped with all the amenities one would expect in a luxury accommodation, some include jacuzzis and private plunge pools. They are all beautifully decorated with items produced by local artisans.