Destination Guide
Rio de Janeiro
Stay
We only feature hotels that we can vouch for first-hand. With Indagare Plus,members receive special amenities.
Belmond Copacabana Palace
Between the sea, sand and mountains, only one building is recognizable: a palatial grand hotel, the Copacabana Palace.
Fasano Rio
This luxury hotel, opened in 2007, is the oceanfront offshoot of one of São Paulo’s most prestigious addresses. With eighty-nine rooms and suites, Fasano Rio has spectacular views of Ipanema Beach and one of the sexiest rooftop pools in South America.
A joint effort by Rojerio Fasano and Philippe Starck, the property features a design scheme that is contemporary-sleek with a funky twist. Accommodations are inherently masculine in feel, encapsulated in floor-to-ceiling dark wood with leather accent chairs and black-and-white photographs. Touches by Starck – a kidney-shaped mirror above the bed and two tree-stumps as side tables – add a bit of whimsy. Ocean-front accommodations above the fifth floor are highly recommended – the Fasano faces a noisy street – and include several deluxe rooms, seven suites and three open-plan deluxe suites with wrap-around terraces. A nice option for families or groups, the latter can be converted into mini apartments by adjoining a suite and superior room.
Amenities like Egyptian cotton linens and goose-down pillows, butler and limousine service, airport transfers and fully equipped workstations with broadband Internet bring 21st-century comfort to a late-’50s bossa-nova ambiance.