Santa Teresa hotel: Rio's first Relais & Châteaux

By Alexandra Forbes

I've written before about the hotel Santa Teresa, in the eponymous district known for its colourful façades and old trams (above)... Opened in 2008, it is the most relevant addition to Rio's hotel scene since the opening of the Fasano Rio (in 2007).

Previously a historic private estate called Chácara dos Guimarães (pictured above), which was a working coffee plantation for many years, it was converted into a minimalistic white-washed inn where humble materials like raw linens and cottons, coconut shells and banana-tree fibres were used to rustic-luxe effect. 

Burnt cement, bordeaux or golden slate, red and dark tropical woods, and timeless modernisitc furniture by acclaimed designer Sergio Rodrigues complete the look.

The hotel is sprinkled with artifacts and art made by the Xingu and Tupi Guarani Indians, as well as iconic pieces referencing Afro-Brazilian traditions and the states of Pernambuco, Bahia and Rio de Janeiro.

From all rooms and the gardens, panoramic views of the city, the harbor and bay of Rio.

Vases of tropical flowers and an abundance of Amazonian artifacts complete the exotic-Brazil look of the Relais & Châteaux property, owned by a team of investors led by Frenchman François Delort. 

The Loft Suite, the hotel's best, won Wallpaper Magazine's 2010 Design Awards for best suite.

François Delort not only directs the hotel but also decorated the beautiful restaurant with unusual materials: eucalyptus branches double as privacy screens while the brownish sheen that lends the floors a warm feel was achieved with a coat of re-used diesel! 

Hotel Santa Teresa
R. Almirante Alexandrino, 660 - Santa Teresa – Rio de Janeiro
www.santateresahotel.com
Tel (21) 2221-1406
reservas@santateresahotel.com.br




Hotel Santa Teresa:

Santa Teresa hotel, in Rio: great bar, mediocre restaurant

Santa Teresa's top hotel, the  Santa Teresa, which we've already shown photos of in this blog, has a restaurant that is quite stunning but, sadly, serves below-par food.  Says who? Says my friend and restaurant critic Constance Escobar. Click here to see dish-by-dish pictures of her recent meal there...  (I've also eaten there and.... was a bit disappointed myself).

The restaurant is called Térèze (in the picture above, seen from the exterior). And it's really too bad that the food is nothing special, because the actual space is quite beautiful! I love the chairs, designed by Minas Gerais artist Rock Lane, you can see more of his stuff on  his site.

Now... if you want to eat well, book a table at the nearby Aprazível, then finish off the Santa Teresa day with a mignardises and coffee at Terèze:





Or even better, a drink at the hotel's charming  bar:



Hotel Santa Teresa: Rua Almirante Alexandrino, 660, Santa Teresa, tel. (21) 2222-2755,

Hotel Santa Teresa makes Condé Nast Traveler's Hot List 2009

Condé Nast Traveler's Hot List 2009 includes one single hotel in Brazil: the Santa Teresa, in Rio, read more about it here.

Below, the list up until the 24th position, held by the Santa Teresa.

1. AMAN AT SUMMER PALACE
BEIJING, CHINA

2. AMAN NEW DELHI
INDIA

3. ANANTARA PHUKET RESORT & SPA
THAILAND

4. ATLANTIS THE PALM
DUBAI, UAE

5. BANYAN TREE SANYA
CHINA

6. BORGO SANTO PIETRO
TUSCANY, ITALY

7. CARBON
GENK, BELGIUM

8. CASTIGLION DEL BOSCO
TUSCANY, ITALY

9. CAVALLO POINT
SAN FRANCISCO, USA

10. CITIZEN M SCHIPHOL
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

11. CLOUDS MOUNTAIN GORILLA LODGE
UGANDA

12. CRAZY BEAR
BEACONSFIELD, ENGLAND

13. DESERT ISLANDS RESORT & SPA
ABU DHABI, UAE

14. DIVA
MALDIVES

15. FONTAINEBLEAU
MIAMI BEACH, USA

16. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL FIRENZE
FLORENCE, ITALY


17. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL MACAO
COTAI STRIP, MACAU

18. FOUR SEASONS RESORT BORA BORA
FRENCH POLYNESIA

19. FOUR SEASONS RESORT MAURITIUS AT ANAHITA
MAURITIUS

20. GEEJAM
JAMAICA

21. HILTON MOSCOW LENINGRADSKAYA
RUSSIA

22. HOTEL DU VIN POOLE
DORSET, ENGLAND

23. HOTEL MONTEFIORE
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL

24. HOTEL SANTA TERESA
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

The best hotels in Santa Teresa, Rio

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.

Hotel Santa Teresa
This new hotel, as soon as it opened in late 2008, became the best in the neighbourhood. To read a full report and see photos, please click here.

Hotel Mama Ruisa
One of many beautiful inns owned and run by a French expat - in this case, Jean Michel Ruis, who worked for Le Meridien and Concorde hotels. This lovely house with large pool and sweeping views has only 7 rooms. They're filled with art and photography and the owner's collection of Brazilian religious sculptures. Soft music can be heard in the common areas, and is played from old vynil records.
Deluxe rooms cost 230 Euros.
Junior suite is 330 Euros.
Airport transfers are available, at 100 reais (one-way only).
Rua Santa Cristina, 132
Tel. (55-21)2242-1281

Solar de Santa
The first upscale inn of Santa Teresa, the Solar, also known as Relais Solar, was opened by the Canadian cultrural producer Gwenael Allan, who had previously lived in Paris, London and New York. It only has five rooms, but an expansion and addition of a spa are in the near future plans. Allan also organized so-called favela tours - trips to nearby favelas, or shantytowns, so that tourists can see how the poorer cariocas live and play.
Ladeira dos Meirelles, 32
Tel. (55-21)2221-2117

Cama e Café
This isn't an actual inn, but rather, a network of approximately 50 private homes where residents rent out a room or two. Rates start at 95 reais.
To read an article on this published by London's The Times, click here.


Casa Amarelo
Laurent Gelis’ Casa Amarelo is a five-room inn occupying a beautiful historic mansion originally built in 1904 by an architect from Europe (to see photos provided by the hotel, click on the image below). It blends old-fashioned charm and modern fixtures. Breakfast can be served either on the terrace overlooking the city or in one of the sitting rooms. The house boasts very high ceilings, an elevator and stunning antique chandeliers. Most of the soft furnishings are by Robert le Héros, a French brand that is owned by Gelis.
Rates are quoted in Euros and start at € 200 per night, with a 3-night minimum requirement. Breakfast and lunch are included in the rates, as are the airport transfers.
Casa Amarelo: Rua Joaquim Murtinho, 569, Santa Teresa, Tel. (55-21) 8886-4314


Interactive map of Santa Teresa with highlighted links to hotels and attractions
Excellent article by Sara Wheeler for London's The Times describing Santa Teresa and its inns

The beautiful new Hotel Santa Teresa, in Rio

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,