Spas are booming in Rio. Top-notch newcomers include the spas at the Copacabana Palace and Santa Teresa hotels. And now Barra da Tijuca also has a luxury spa to call its own: the Vila Spa, at the Sheraton.
Treatments include all those you'd expect at such a posh spa, like baths, massages and beauty sessions to rejuvenate skin. All done in a beautiful setting, with lots of water flowing and wood passerelles. Beauty products are by L'Occitaine.
Sheraton Barra
Av. Lúcio Costa, 3150, Barra da Tijuca
Tel. (21) 3139-8000
Santa Teresa is Rio's most charming and unique neighbourhood, a maze of cobbled streets with hairpin turns crisscrossing through the mountains, where even the most experienced taxi drivers get lost. Incredibly well-preserved colonial houses give it a back-in-time feel. Pros of staying in Santa Teresa include the charming streets and views, the tranquility and the abundance of very small, tasteful inns. The cons are the distance from the beach (at least a 20-minute cabride), the steepness of the hills, which turn leisurely walks into workouts, and a sense of isolation from the buzz of the city.
Rio's newest hote, the Hotel Santa Teresa, is also one of the best.
As soon as I got there I couldn't help but to think... WOW! It was much different (and better) than I could have imagined. All is done with impeccable taste. Take the pool, for instance:
What impressed me the most was the choice of natural and recycled materials in the decoration of the property. Examples: eucalyptus branches tied together form a rustic-yet-lovely space divider. The burnt ciment flooring was brushed with reclaimed truck oil, giving it a sepia-toned worn look. The lobby, spa, apartments and restaurants follow a sober colour palette: white (whitewashed walls), brown and bege. And that's all. A rustic-chic look which immediately reminded me of one of my favourite places in Brazil, the tiny Jacaré do Brasil Casas, in Trancoso.
The spa is open to the public. It is bright, airy and has two egg-shaped free-standing tubs and several chaise longues overlooking the rooftops of Santa Teresa. They use Natura products, a high-end Brazilian brand.
The Bar dos Descasados is the only colourful part of the hotel: playful, fun, with cute artisanal chandeliers and tiled floors.
I also ate at the Thérèse restaurant, but I'll save that report for another post...
Hotel Santa Teresa: Rua Almirante Alexandrino, 660, next to the Largo dos Guimarães, tel. (21) 2221-1406,
Much has been written about the Fasano Rio, the new hotel in Ipanema that set a new standard in luxury accomodation in Rio (to see the photos above full size, just click on them). The hotel won countless awards, made it onto Condé Nast Traveler's Hot List and was praised in articles in most of the world's top travel magazines.
So at the risk of sounding redundant, I've got to say there's no hotel like it in Rio. It's not the biggest nor the one with the best infra-structure, but rather the funnest and most stylish. It was co-designed by owner Rogério Fasano - the Ian Schrager of Brazil - and Philippe Starck. You can see additional photos by my friend and travel guru Ricardo Freire (just click here).
When I arrived, I felt I'd been there before, since I'd already seen a million photos and read a million articles about it. There was the gigantic tree trunk that doubles as the front desk, where ultra-polished young women in brown dresses checked me in.
The most important thing to know about the Fasano Rio is that if you can afford it, an oceanview suite is the way to go. The back rooms facing residential buildings have no view and much less light and simply do not compare.
I wasn't all that impressed by the luxuries I've already come to expect of five stars, such as the king-size bed sheathed in high-thread-count cotton sheets, or the oversize white marble shower and whirpool bath, or the two impecably ironed bath robes and Havaianas flip flops (in lieu of slippers, fittingly).
What really struck me wasn't the ample sitting area with a stainless-topped bar and a flat-screen TV, either. Rather, it was the vastness of the space - bedroom separated from the lounge by a billowy white curtain that, when pulled back, gave it the feel of a seaside loft. The free-standing bed itself seems to float in the room, with only tree-stub bedside tables as anchors.
Here is a video I made of my suite:
It seemed like a Soho l0ft owned by a millionaire artist or designer with exquisite taste, rather than a hotel room. But it had a huge advantage over any Soho loft: from the confort of the bed one could look out onto the Ipanema sand and sea, through the glass wall.
The rooftop pool is not only beautiful but also quite a scene: local celebs and models are often spotted on the chaise longues or having drinks at the poolside bar.
The hotel's restaurant, the Fasano Al Mare, has been gathering momentum and positive reviews, and is now considered the top fish and seafood restaurant in town.
I went back last October and stayed in a simpler room, facing the back, but still had an amazing time. Who was a constant at the pool? Diana Krall, recording a DVD...
Welcome gift: a plate of cashews...
Ice-cold beers at the pool...
And more Diana Krall...
Now, zoomed in:
The pool, like a mirror...
Tulip chairs, poolside:
Down below, Ipanema beach...
and the Arpoador...
To see my complete listing of hotels in Ipanema, please click here.
Every holiday weekend the Porto Seguro airport in Brazil’s sunny Bahia state is a hive of activity as São Paulo’s gliteratti flock en masse – many by private jet - to nearby Trancoso, which has gone from sleepy fishing village to the country’s most glam and exclusive beach destination. Big-name musicians and fashion types are often spotted walking the soft-sand beach by day, and by night, mingling at the open-air restaurants like the always lively Capim Santo (Praça do Beco, 55, tel. 55-73-3668-1122) and lantern-lit lounges which will soon outnumber the charming native-run fish houses. On a bluff overlooking the sea, the stylishly restored candy-colored colonial houses that ring the grassy main square (at right) sell everything from signature jewelry by Syomara Crespi (Praça São João, 78, tel. 55-73-3668-1814) to designer beachwear and jeans flown in from São Paulo at Etnia (Praça São João, 33, 55-73-3668-1669). Yet despite the hype Trancoso remains blissfully quaint, tranquil and free of crowds – at least for now.
While Trancoso has dozens of small pousadas - or inns - many in-the-know paulistas prefer renting luxury homes so they can have a full staff at their service and lots of room to entertain. One of the most gorgeous houses I've ever seen in Trancoso, in the Terravista gated development, is often up for rent. Overlooking the eponymous golf course, the house has a wopping 6 bedrooms, decorated with colonial-style furniture and bird prints with the help of neighbour and friend Sig Bergamin, one of Brazil's top interior designers. The mansion keeps it casual with whitewashed walls and boasts a beautifully landscaped inner courtyard. Wide verandahs with plus patio furniture face the gardens and pool.
Pousada Capim Santo
The location, right by the Nativos beach, is not great.
