The best hotels in Brazil

Rainforest one day, reef the next; a samba-fuelled night and a morning of flittering toucans. Brazil doesn’t do half measures, and its hotels are no exception. They’re as eclectic and varied as the country itself, from barefoot boltholes in Trancoso to Rio’s grand icons and the classic riverboats that float up and down the Amazon. And these are the places that we’d happily check into tomorrow…

Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

A Philippe Starck-designed retreat right on Ipanema Beach, the Fasano is Rio’s grande dame of cool. With its mid-century decor, leather-clad furniture, and a rooftop infinity pool that might be one of the most photographed in the world, it’s a place where old-school glamour collides with bossa nova chic. Think marble bathrooms, waiters in crisp white shirts, and views across to Dois Irmãos at sunset. Downstairs, the Fasano al Mare restaurant is all about Italian seafood with Carioca swagger. In short, this is Rio at its most polished, seductive best.

Casa Caiman

Pantanal

Few lodges on earth can match Caiman for complete and utter immersion into the wild. Set on a vast 53,000-hectare ranch in the southern Pantanal, it’s the gateway to one of the planet’s most diverse ecosystems. Spend your days exploring on horseback or by safari vehicle, hyacinth macaws fluttering overhead and capybaras ambling through the wetlands. Caiman also spearheads Brazil’s leading jaguar conservation project, so sightings of the elusive cats are a real possibility. Back at the lodge, contemporary comfort (infinity pool, shaded verandas, exceptional local food) ensures the wild is matched by a good dose of luxury.

Sandi Hotel

Paraty

Smack bang in the cobbled heart of Paraty’s UNESCO-listed old town, Sandi Hotel is a riot of colour and character. Housed in an 18th-century townhouse, it’s all big, bold tropical prints, vintage curios, and walls that practically hum with artwork. Outside, bougainvillea plants tumble through leafy courtyards and a sun-speckled pool offers the perfect spot to pause between adventures. Then, step into the street and you’re surrounded by Paraty’s galleries, seafood taverns, and boat trips into the emerald bay. Magic!

Cristalino Lodge

Amazon

Deep in the southern Amazon, in an area the size of Manhattan where emerald trees stretch to the horizon and rivers braid through the forest, is Cristalino Lodge, part eco-retreat, part explorer’s dream. Every choice here honours the rainforest: bungalows raised on stilts and built from reclaimed wood, organic ingredients transformed into exquisite Brazilian dishes, and even the subtle design that cools naturally without strain on the environment. By day, paddle through creeks or climb the canopy towers to watch the toucans and macaws flit overhead and by night, return to firelit dinners and the intoxicating sounds of the jungle surrounding you.

UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa

Trancoso

If Brazil has a poster child for barefoot luxury, it’s UXUA. Conceived by Diesel’s former creative director, Wilbert Das, this collection of casas – some spilling onto Trancoso’s Quadrado, others hidden in tropical gardens – is the epitome of cool-as-a-cucumber sophistication. Interiors are sleek and stylish, crafted from reclaimed wood and Bahian antiques, yet still surprise with a smattering of bohemian touches. Outside, the beach club is straight from the front of a postcard, the spa offers beautiful wellness treatments using a variety of natural and local products, and the pool glows (quite literally) an otherworldly green thanks to the Aventurine quartz.

M/V Tucano

Amazon

Exploring the Amazon by water is to get up close and personal with one of the world’s most fascinating ecosystems and few boats do it better than the classic M/V Tucano. The heritage riverboat investigates deep into the inky Rio Negro, well beyond the usual tourist trails, and days are spent skimming through flooded forests in teeny-tiny launches, bird-spotting at dawn, or listening to the chiming of the frogs as darkness descends. On board, there are just a handful of cabins dressed in polished wood and brass – Amazon exploration, the old-school way…

Hotel das Cataratas, A Belmond Hotel

Iguazu Falls

The only hotel inside Brazil’s 715-square-mile Iguazu National Park, Belmond’s pink-hued hacienda is as close as it gets to sleeping beside the waterfall. But, if you can tear yourself away from your cocoon, take a wander down the hotel paths at dawn, slip through the garden gate and admire the cascades all by yourself, long before the day-trippers arrive. Belmond also offers nature walks with an in-house biologist as well as helicopter tours for an eagles-eye view of the 275 falls. Back at the hotel, the rooms exude old-world elegance with dark wood and tropical prints, and there are two restaurants to choose from to round off your days.

La Villa Bahia

Salvador

La Villa Bahia is actually two 17th-century mansions in the heart of Salvador’s Pelourinho district, lovingly reimagined into a blissful boutique hotel. Each room is individually styled to reflect a different era of Portuguese exploration and there’s plenty of carved wood, tiled terraces and bright colours around. Breakfasts linger in breezy courtyards and from the balconies you can watch the town burst into life when evening falls, complete with drumming troupes, church bells, and the scent of acarajé frying on street corners.

Janeiro Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

The Janeiro captures the spirit of Rio’s modern beach culture better than almost anywhere else. Set right on Leblon Beach, it’s all whitewashed minimalism, Brazilian wood, and panoramic windows that frame the endless Atlantic. Interiors are pared-back and airy, with plenty of soft linens and sculptural furniture that feels more contemporary art gallery than hotel. On the rooftop, the pool is the spot for golden-hour caipirinhas as the sun dips behind Dois Irmãos, while downstairs, the restaurant showcases seasonal ingredients and Brazilian specialities with flair.

O Sítio Ilha Grande

Ilha Grande

On car-free Ilha Grande, just at the meeting point of the emerald-green rainforest and turquoise waves, O Sítio is like a little secret garden. There are ten suites hiding amongst laden fruit trees and enormous orchids, and the verandas are just made for reading, resting, and watching the hummingbirds. It’s intimate and eco-conscious, but never spartan, and Egyptian cotton sheets, artisanal ceramics and homemade breakfasts add a perfect dose of luxury. Activities-wise, a private pier will deliver you straight into the crystalline waters, while hiking trails through the Atlantic Forest lead to many a hidden beach.