Top 10: best luxury hotels in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.

Today (August 1, 2016): top 10 most exclusive hotels in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

For the next two weeks, the world’s attention is focused on the Olympic games and its host city, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The home of Samba and the Caipirinha cocktail, Rio is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, nestled among spectacular mountains, lush greenry, and white-sand beaches alongside the Atlantic Ocean. Locals like to say that “God made the world in six days, the seventh he devoted to Rio”, and it’s not hard to understand where that comes from when you stand by the world-famous Corcovado statue or at the top of the Sugarloaf Mountain, enjoying one of the globe’s most exciting panoramas, Yet, despite its reputation as one of the world’s major tourist destinations and despite all the preparations for the current Olympics, Rio does not harbour a lot of exclusive hotels, and most luxury hotel brands are poorly or not represented at all. Nevertheless, I hereby share with you my pick of the 10 best luxury hotels in Rio de Janeiro.

What is your favorite hotel in Rio De Janeiro? Do you think I missed one? Leave a comment or take my poll below.

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10. CAESAR PARK RIO DE JANEIRO IPANEMA

This 5 star hotel is located in a stately building directly in front of Ipanema Beach, one of the most sophisticated neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro. Aside from its excellent location, the Caesar Park Rio de Janeiro Ipanema offers several options for relaxation, such as a massage room, sauna, outdoor pool and a fitness center boasting a stunning sea view. Hotel guests can enjoy a full range of services offered for their day at the beach, such as beach umbrellas, towels, and sun loungers. The hotel has 222 rooms overlooking the best scenery in Rio de Janeiro: the beaches of Arpoador, Ipanema and Leblon, the stunning Two Brothers mountain and the modern city itself.

• Hotel website: Caesar Park Rio de Janeiro Ipanema

9. SHERATON GRAND RIO HOTEL & RESORT

This exclusive and recently renovated 5-star oceanfront resort sits on trendy Leblon Beach, in Rio’s South Zone. Guests at Sheraton Grand Rio can enjoy a complete leisure area including 2 pools, a tennis court and tasty gastronomic options. They can also play golf in Gávea Golf Club, use the well-equipped gym or relax on the newly-launched Shine Spa. The luxurious renovated rooms at Sheraton Grand Rio are spacious, with modern décor and contemporary furnishings. All have air conditioning and a private balcony with stunning beach views.

• Hotel website: Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & Resort

8. SOFITEL RIO DE JANEIRO COPACABANA

The Sofitel Rio de Janeiro Copacabana hotel blends the best of Brazilian culture with French savoir-faire. Located on the glamorous and world-famous Copacabana Beach, the hotel is next to Ipanema Beach and under the gaze of the Sugarloaf Mountain. It oozes the magic of the 1960s bossa nova beat and Rio’s contagious, ever-present energy. Magnifique in every way, the hotel has 388 rooms with terraces, French gourmet cuisine and exclusive Club Millésime services. The hotel’s guests also have access to a section of Copacabana Beach, swimming pools, restaurants, bars, saunas and a specialized convention and business center.

• Hotel website: Sofitel Rio De Janeiro Copacabana

7. JW MARRIOTT RIO DE JANEIRO

The JW Marriott Rio De Janeiro hotel offers easy access to the city’s best attractions, including Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer and a variety of nightlife, restaurants and golf courses. The world-famous Copacabana beach is just steps away from the hotel’s doors, and Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport is less than 20 minutes away. Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate the hotel’s proximity to exciting activities like rock climbing, surfing and sailing. Guest rooms at the JW Marriott feature elegant decor, plush bedding, marble bathrooms and LCD TVs with international cable.

• Hotel website: JW Marriott Rio De Janeiro

6. LA SUITE BY DUSSOL

More a guesthouse than a hotel, La Suite By Dussol is located in the exclusive residential area of Joá, less than half an hour drive from Ipanema. The hotel mansion – originally built in 1968 – features original art pieces thoroughly chosen from local flee-markets and modern designers. Overlooking the sea, the hotel’s 7 suites are cleverly designed in a lavish rainbow of colours and styled in a spirit of intimate elegance mixing exuberant antiques and contemporary objects. Each suite has been given the name of the colour it is celebrating: Black, Purple, White, Green, Pink, Blue and Yellow.

• Hotel website: La Suite by Dussol

5. SANTA TERESA HOTEL RJ MGALLERY BY SOFITEL

The hotel offers direct access to the economic hubs of the city, such as Avenida Rio Branco, Botafogo beach, Marina da Gloria and Santos Dumont Airport. It is also close to all the main tourist attractions, such as Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, and the Lapa district. It has 44 rooms, offering everything you need in an urban resort, such as a bar, spa, pool and renowned restaurant that is ranked as amongst the best hotel restaurants in Rio de Janeiro.

• Hotel website: Santa Teresa Hotel RJ MGallery By Sofitel

4. MIRAMAR HOTEL BY  WINDSOR

The newly renovated Miramar Hotel by Windsor defines seaside luxury in the heart of Rio de Janeiro. Just steps from Copacabana Beach, the hotel affords captivating views from some of its guest rooms and an amazing rooftop terrace that hosts an infinity-edge swimming pool and poolside bar. Guests can dine in the hotel’s new gourmet restaurant, which serves an inventive menu of Carioca cuisine and notable wine list with more than 130 labels. Each of the hotel’s 200 guest rooms provide complete relaxation with plush linens, Brazilian paintings, and on-call butler service.

• Hotel website: Miramar Hotel by Windsor

3. GRAND HYATT RIO DE JANEIRO

Located on Avenida Lucio Costa, the newly opened, 436 room Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro occupies a privileged position in the heart of the prestigious and exclusive Barra da Tijuca neighborhood, famous for having the most beautiful stretch of beach in the city of Rio. The hotel’s stunning beach-front location overlooks Barra’s extensive blue-green Atlantic Ocean and is surrounded by the Marapendi Lagoon from behind. Yabu Pushelberg, the internationally acclaimed interior designer, created spaces that integrate with the surroundings to create a seamless bond between the design and the breathtaking natural settings.

• Hotel website: Grand Hyatt Rio De Janeiro

2. BELMOND COPACABANA PALACE

Since its Art Deco doors swung open in 1923, Belmond Copacabana Palace has been welcoming the rich and famous. One cannot miss this hotel, as it is the only one with a grand, carved white-marble facade, making it the matriarch of Copacabana. This opulent hotel was designed by the architect of the Negresco in Nice dates from 1923.  Its conscientious renovations continue their slow but steady pace. The hotel guests can sunbathe, swim and socialize in one of Rio’s largest and most attractive swimming pools. The hotel also features some top restaurants, such as the highly acclaimed Cipriani Restaurant, which offers fine Italian dining.

• Hotel website: Belmond Copacabana Palace
• Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, early check in, late check out, daily breakfast, and $100 USD spa credit).

1. FASANO RIO DE JANEIRO

Located on Avenida Vieira Souto in the heart of Ipanema beach, Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro combines the glamour and sophistication of Rio’s most coveted address with the Fasano commitment to excellence. In his first hotel architecture project, Philippe Starck chose to reflect the heyday of the Bossa Nova era in the 50’s and 60‘s, when Ipanema blossomed into the city’s most charming neighborhood. Located on the 8th floor, the chic rooftop infinity pool offers an unparalleled view of world-famous Ipanema beach from an angle that captures Arpoador, the Morro Dois Irmãos and the Corcovado.

• Hotel website: Fasano Rio De Janeiro
• Other top 10 accolades: Fasano Rio De Janeiro also features in my top 10 lists of the world’s most beautiful rooftop pools, the world’s most spectacular hotel rooftops, and swimming pools with the world’s most spectacular views.
• Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, early check in, late check out, daily breakfast, and $100 USD spa credit).

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