Brazil
Copacabana Palace
Rio de Janeiro.
Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel, presides over Rio’s legendary crescent with art deco glamour and sea-breeze swagger. Polished rooms and suites, a palm-ringed pool, tennis, and the Copacabana Palace Spa set languid days. Dine at Michelin-starred MEE and Cipriani. The mood is cinematic, Rio, steps from sand, samba, and sunsets. 9.8
Rosewood Sao Paulo
Rosewood São Paulo anchors the Cidade Matarazzo complex, marrying a restored 1920s maternity hospital with a lush garden tower. Calm, art-filled rooms and suites; two pools including a rooftop, Asaya Spa, and buzzing restaurants and bars. The mood is glamorous, creative, Paulista, steps from Avenida Paulista’s museums, boutiques, and nightlife. 9.6
Hotel Fasano
Rio de Janeiro.
Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro curves along Ipanema’s sands, Philippe Starck’s cool glamour writ tropical. Ocean-view rooms, a seductive spa, Fasano Al Mare, and Baretto-Londra anchor days and nights. The rooftop infinity pool surveys Dois Irmãos and Arpoador. The mood is polished, bossa-nova chic, steps from the beach, boutiques, and bars. 9.2
Fairmont Copacabana
Rio de Janeiro.
Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana sits at Posto 6 with sweeping views of Sugarloaf and the bay. Contemporary rooms and suites, two oceanfront pools, a spa, and bars fuel sunny days. Dine at Marine Restô. The vibe is polished, beach-glam, steps from Copacabana’s sands and a stroll to Ipanema nearby. 9.2
Hotel Fasano
Sao Paulo.
Hotel Fasano São Paulo brings discreet, mid-century glamour to Jardins. Wood-and-leather rooms feel cocooning; a serene spa, sleek pool, and fitness studio restore. Dinner at Fasano, nightcaps at Baretto’s live jazz. Service is polished, low-key. Oscar Freire boutiques and Paulista’s museums sit a short, leafy stroll from the lobby nearby. 9.6
Hotel Unique
Sau Paulo.
Hotel Unique, Ruy Ohtake’s inverted-arc icon in Jardins, frames São Paulo with porthole windows and sculpted, wood-lined rooms. Skye rooftop pool and restaurant hover over skyline sunsets; a sleek spa, fitness, and indoor pool restore between galleries and boutiques. The mood is avant-garde, urbane, steps from Ibirapuera Park’s leafy paths. 9.6
Palacio Tangara
Sau Paulo.
Palácio Tangará sits within Parque Burle Marx’s tropical gardens, São Paulo’s rare urban resort. Sunlit rooms and suites with terraces, indoor-outdoor pools, and Flora Spa by Sisley Paris cocoon you. Tangará Jean-Georges leads dining, with jazz-warm bars. The mood is polished, serene, minutes from Jardins boutiques and business hubs nearby. 9.6
Hotel das Cataratas
Iguassu Falls.
Hotel das Cataratas, a Belmond pink palace inside Iguaçu National Park, grants dawn-to-dusk access to the falls. Colonial-chic rooms, rainforest-framed pool, spa, and Caipirinha-fueled terrace evenings set the rhythm. Guided trails, boat safaris, and birdwatching await. The mood is polished, adventurous, with mist and rainbows drifting past your balcony daily. 9.8
Botanique Hotel Experience
Sao Paulo.
Botanique Hotel & Spa sits in Brazil’s Mantiqueira Mountains near Campos do Jordão, a glass-stone sanctuary of contemporary cabins and suites. A destination spa, heated pool, and nature-led rituals pair with hiking, horseback rides, and farm-to-table dining. The mood is serene, design-forward, quietly luxurious, within easy reach of São Paulo. 10
UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa
Porto Seguro.
UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa anchors Trancoso’s Quadrado, a collection of restored fishermen’s casas by designer Wilbert Das. Handcrafted, rustic-chic interiors open to private gardens and plunge pools. Days drift between capoeira, coconut-wood spa rituals, and UXUA Praia Bar on Nativos Beach. The mood is bohemian, barefoot, artful, deeply Bahian. 10
Hotel Fasano
Angra dos Reis.
Hotel Fasano Angra dos Reis blends sleek Brazilian modernism with Costa Verde’s emerald bays. Light-filled rooms face the marina and forested hills. Two pools, a serene spa, tennis, and a golf course set unhurried days. Fasano dining, yacht charters, and island-hopping to Ilha Grande shape a polished, tropical, salt-breezed escape. 9.6
Awasi Santa Catarina
Ganchos de Fora.
Ponta dos Ganchos Exclusive Resort lies on a forested peninsula in Santa Catarina’s Emerald Coast. Contemporary bungalows with plunge pools and saunas. Private beaches, boat trips, snorkelling, a serene spa, and candlelit dinners on islets. Mood is secluded, romantic, polished, 50 minutes from Florianópolis, with crystalline bays and Atlantic forest trails. 10
Pulso Hotel
Sao Paulo.
Pulso Hotel is a design-led sanctuary in São Paulo’s Pinheiros, just off Faria Lima. Studio Arthur Casas’ calm, art-rich spaces cocoon sleek rooms. Expect an indoor pool, spa, Sarau Bar, and Charlô’s bistro with Cha Cha bakery. The vibe is polished, urban-residential, steps from galleries, cafés, and business buzz nearby. 9.4
W Sao Paulo
W São Paulo brings high-energy polish to Vila Olímpia, stacking city-view rooms from the 25th floor. Expect the WET Deck pool, AWAY Spa, and a FIT gym, plus restaurants and buzzy bars. The mood is design-forward and social, steps from Faria Lima’s business buzz and late-night dining, galleries, and shopping. 9.0
Emiliano Rio
Rio de Janeiro.
Emiliano Rio de Janeiro rises on Copacabana with a sculptural cobogó facade. Serene, beach-facing rooms and suites, a rooftop infinity pool and bar, Emile’s refined Brazilian cuisine, and a soothing Santapele spa set the rhythm. Service is discreet and design-led, steps from Posto 6, Fort Copacabana, and Sugarloaf-framed sunsets nearby. 9.4
Villas de Trancoso
Porto Seguro.
Villas de Trancoso is a tropical hideaway on Nativos Beach, minutes from Trancoso’s Quadrado. Whitewashed villas and suites sit in lush gardens with hammocks. A palm-fringed pool, beach service, massages, and candlelit dining set an unhurried rhythm. The mood is barefoot-luxury and intimate, with reefy shallows and boat trips nearby. 9.8