By Amanda McCoy
GOLDEN SAND STUNNER
Rising majestically along Rio de Janeiro’s iconic beachfront, Copacabana Palace has embodied Brazilian glamour since opening in 1923. Commissioned to help establish Rio as an international luxury destination, the legendary pink-hued grande dame has hosted everyone from Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot to royalty, rock stars, and World Cup champions. The hotel’s 239 rooms and suites blend Art Deco elegance with breezy coastal cues, pairing polished woods, marble baths, and antique furnishings with sweeping views of Copacabana Beach and the glittering city skyline. By day, sip caipirinhas poolside under the shade of swaying palm fronds before sitting down for bluefin tartare with beluga caviar and truffled scallops at Michelin-starred Mee. belmond.com
boutique bohemia
Perched high above the coastline in the city’s artsy Santa Teresa neighborhood, MGallery Santa Teresa Hotel feels worlds away from the beachfront frenzy of Copacabana and Ipanema. Tucked within a restored 19th-century coffee plantation dating back to 1850, the intimate boutique retreat channels the spirit of old Rio through exposed brick walls, tropical hardwoods, slate floors, and handpicked Brazilian artwork. Gardens spill into hidden courtyards, and the pool terrace serves dramatic bay and mountain views. The neighborhood itself – long a haven for artists, musicians, and intellectuals – is part of the magic, with winding streets, colonial mansions, ateliers, and the iconic yellow tram giving the district an almost cinematic charm. santateresahotelrio.com
Refuge for renewal
In the lush Atlantic Forest surrounding the city, Rituaali offers a full-scale reset for body and mind. Built around the principles of lifestyle and behavioral medicine, the sprawling wellness retreat has become one of Brazil’s most ambitious health destinations, blending medical expertise, holistic therapies, movement, nutrition, and spirituality into immersive multi-day programs designed to produce lasting change – not merely temporary relaxation. Guests can choose focused immersions in areas like stress and anxiety management, metabolic health, sleep improvement, functional recovery, and weight balance, each structured around personalized assessments, guided movement, spa therapies, nutritional counseling, and plant-based “vital gastronomy.” rituaali.com.br
make a rum for it
Rio likes to party, and while there’s no shortage of late-night dives and rocking Samba houses, Nosso offers a more sophisticated solution for rum-thirsty revelers. Spread across three distinct floors, the Michelin-recognized hotspot effortlessly shifts personalities as the evening progresses. The ground floor revolves around a lively central bar, where tropical cocktails, natural wines, and scratch small plates fuel the room’s infectious energy. Upstairs, the second level transitions into something more intimate and refined, with moodier lighting and dining-focused seating (be sure to try the signature Egg 63 dish), but for the best views in the house, journey up to the rooftop terrace for a Tacacá Sour amid stunning panorama.
Garden party
Hidden within Rio’s leafy Botafogo neighborhood, Lasai is one of Brazil’s most celebrated dining destinations, earning a pair of Michelin stars and international acclaim for chef Rafa Costa e Silva’s deeply seasonal approach to contemporary Brazilian cuisine. The intimate restaurant – minimalist, warm, and centered around an open kitchen – operates almost like a living conversation between chef and landscape, with much of the menu shaped daily by ingredients harvested from Lasai’s two dedicated gardens in the mountains outside Rio, where an ever-rotating bounty of heirloom vegetables, edible flowers, herbs, roots, and fruits are cultivated specifically for the restaurant’s tasting menu. lasai.com.br