Where to stay: the best hotels in Rio de Janeiro by district
A neighbourhood guide to where to stay in Rio de Janeiro, as chosen by our resident experts, including the best hotels on Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, and in neighbourhoods including Santa Teresa, Leblon and Barra da Tijuca.
Copacabana
Copacabana’s long and famed beach cuts like a golden scythe between the Atlantic’s waves and the neighbourhood’s stickle-brick buildings. Tall, Art Deco buildings provide shady streets and signs of past glory. Once so glamourous it was immortalised in songs and frequented by celebrities, it is now a busy bairro, where old ladies in newly pressed clothes potter alongside surfers and young families. It’s buzzing with local restaurants and little bars to discover, and is the proud host of possibly the best New Year’s celebrations in the world.
Where to stay
Belmond Copacabana Palace
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
9Telegraph expert rating
The Palace may have been lording it over Copacabana for nearly a century, but it is a rare example of how to grow old gracefully in this anything-goes beach neighbourhood. From its stunning pool and excellent restaurants to the rooftop tennis court, everything about the hotel has been designed with the guest in mind. Read expert review From ￡258 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Miramar Hotel by Windsor
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
8Telegraph expert rating
Copacabana may not have the glamour of yore, but once you’ve walked inside the discreet entrance of this hotel and been met with a glass of champagne, you will discover there is still plenty of glitz to be found here. Expect panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and first-class service. Read expert review From ￡96 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Hotel Emiliano
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
9Telegraph expert rating
The arrival of S?o Paulo’s Emiliano brand to the Copacabana district of Rio justifiably caused quite the buzz among locals, bringing an edge to rival the sharp boutiques of neighbouring Ipanema. Built for purpose, Emiliano not only has universal appeal, but updates Copacabana’s magic of yore with flair. Read expert review From ￡360 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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ARPOADOR
Arpoador is the headland that juts out into the sea marking the break between Copacabana and Ipanema. When the sun sets all and sundry flock, like roosting birds, to perch on the rock and watch the sun fall behind the hills. When the light fades floodlights allow surfers to continue catching waves. Rua Francisco Otaviano, the neighbourhood’s main drag, is full of skate and surf shops which, along with TT burger, Vezpa pizza and hip Void General Store, ensure a young, athletic crowd.
Where to stay
Best Western Premier Arpoador Fashion Hotel
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
8Telegraph expert rating
A world away from Rio’s laid-back, beach-cool image, the BW Premier Fashion hotel is a haven of monochrome minimalism and sophistication. Done in collaboration with one of the country’s top fashion designers, as well as one of its leading chefs, it’s a new concept in the city and is rightly strutting its stuff. Read expert review From ￡65 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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IPANEMA AND LEBLON
Behind their eponymous beaches, slotted between the sea and the lagoa, are two of Rio’s wealthiest neighbourhoods. In Ipanema and Leblon real estate goes for eye-watering prices but walking the tranquil and tree-dotted streets, the allure of living here is obvious. Rua Dias Ferreira in Leblon is lined with fashionable restaurants. Visconde de Pirajá is Ipanema’s main shopping street. But the prime spots are along the beachfront where on Sundays the traffic is stopped and the street becomes of a motorway of runners and skaters, kids and dogs, the merry and the meditative. There’s no better place to spend a weekend.
Where to stay
Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
9Telegraph expert rating
Leader of the new school of Rio accommodation, Fasano has single-handedly revolutionised the city’s hotel scene with its superior service and understated cool, making it the place to see and be seen. If the understated luxury isn’t reason enough to justify the price tag, then its prime location most certainly is. Read expert review From ￡300 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Sofitel Rio de Janeiro Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
8Telegraph expert rating
If ever a hotel has successfully reflected the personality of its surroundings, it’s this one. The sandy-toned lobby feels like an extension of the beach opposite, a trick that has been maintained throughout its rooms and suites. It's the embodiment of easy-going style in Rio’s sassiest neighbourhood. Read expert review From ￡157 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
SANTA TERESA
Oh, Santa! Arty, eccentric and unlike much of the rest of Rio, Santa Teresa is beloved by many. It can be hard to reach as taxis drivers abhor the cobbles and curves of the roads up, but once there the area is something to behold. Mansions and grand houses, now often in decline, peep from behind high walls. Small galleries and shops cluster around picturesque squares and a handful of restaurants and bars make it well worth the effort.
Where to stay
Hotel Santa Teresa
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
9Telegraph expert rating
A former coffee finca set in the undulating landscape of the ever charming, bohemian neighbourhood from which it takes its name, the Hotel Santa Teresa has the air of a hillside retreat, but packs in all the amenities of a five-star hotel, including one of the city’s best spas. Read expert review From ￡171 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Mama Shelter Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
7Telegraph expert rating
Situated in Rio's ever-beguiling and bucolic Santa Teresa neighbourhood, this laid-back option fits naturally with the colourful charms of the hillside’s bohemian vibes. No-frills rooms and an industrial finish are lifted by the bright tropicalia of the bar and restaurant. Read expert review From ￡60 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Mama Ruisa
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
8Telegraph expert rating
This tropical boutique hotel has a palm-lined pool and impressive views, but the colonial splendour of the huge rooms is the real draw. High ceilings, leafy balconies and enormous bathrooms combine to deliver an original hotel in the heart of Santa Teresa, where the rhythm of samba always drifts in the air. Read expert review From ￡88 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Barra da Tijuca and S?o Conrado
Heading west out of Zona Sul along the coast, you come first to S?o Conrado and then to Barra da Tijuca. As you go the neighbourhoods becomes increasingly Americanised, with wide busy roads, gated communities and shopping malls. Yet what Barra lacks in charm it makes up for with its vast expanse of magnificent beach. The 2016 Olympic Games also made it the focus of hoteliers and developers, helping slowly transform it into an alternative option to the better-known areas of the city.
Where to stay
Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & Resort
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
8Telegraph expert rating
The Sheraton juts out majestically into the ocean at the end of Leblon beach. If that seems too much to bear for a quick paddle, the attractive Vidigal beach is directly in front of the hotel, while vast Barra da Tijuca is just around the headland. Read expert review From ￡105 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
8Telegraph expert rating
Bringing a touch of dependable Grand Hyatt quality to Barra’s rather hit-and-miss hotel scene, Rio’s first self-styled ‘urban resort’ will charm couples, bowl over families and relax the stiffest of conferences with its beachfront location, vast pool complex and one-off nods to the local culture. Read expert review From ￡79 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Gran Meliá Nacional Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
9Telegraph expert rating
The Nacional – resurrected after decades of closure and beautifully refitted – is the most resolutely carioca of the city’s luxury hotels – from its Jetson-age styling to its sumptuous beach location. Read expert review From ￡115 per night Rates provided by Booking.com