13 Gorgeous New Hotels to Visit on Your Next Brazil Trip

For travelers scouting a multi-city trip to Brazil, T+L found the best stays in five destinations covered throughout our 2025 Destination of the Year package. Here, where to stay in the buzzing metropolises of Rio and São Paulo, and in coastal enclaves like Trancoso, Bahia.

Rio de Janeiro

Most visitors to Rio choose to stay on the beaches of Copacabana or Ipanema, the latter of which is home to the famous Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro, where T+L shot Anitta for our cover. Another favorite: the Copacabana Palace, a Belmond Hotel, which has hosted a coterie of celebrities, including the Rolling Stones, over its 102-year history. Hotel Emiliano is another glamorous choice in Copacabana. The 90-room resort overlooks the Atlantic and has a rooftop infinity pool and a garden restaurant, Emile. Away from the beach buzz is the eight-room Boutique Hotel Castelinho, in the artsy Santa Teresa neighborhood.​

São Paulo

The cultural capital of Brazil has seen a flurry of new hotels in recent years, beginning with the 2022 debut of the Rosewood São Paulo. The property’s 160 rooms span a landmarked turn-of-the-20th-century maternity hospital and a contemporary tower designed by architect Jean Nouvel, both of which have interiors by Philippe Starck. The members-only Soho House São Paulo is the rising star of the Bela Vista neighborhood, housed within the same complex as the Rosewood, Cidade Matarazzo. Last year, the W São Paulo opened in the upscale Vila Olímpia neighborhood, with Japanese and southern Brazilian restaurants. And the new Pulso Hotel São Paulo is a design marvel, featuring a suspended glassed-in cube containing a gym and a pool.​—M.K.L.

Fernando de Noronha

The rugged coast of Fernando de Noronha, off the northeastern coast of Brazil.

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“It’s become my favorite place on earth,” says Emmanuel Burgio, a Travel + Leisure A-List advisor, of Archipelago de Fernando de Noronha, a UNESCO World Heritage site with a monthly limit of 11,000 visitors. The 21-island chain off the country’s northeastern coast is known for its enchanting pousadas, or bed-and-breakfasts. Burgio, whose agency, Blue Parallel, specializes in planning luxury trips to Brazil, often stays at the 20-room Hamares Boutique Hotel, where some villas have private pools overlooking the Atlantic. “The hilltop property has stunning views over the beach,” he says. “Dining at the restaurant is equally memorable. The menu celebrates fresh, local ingredients, and the open-air setting transforms every meal into an immersive, sensory experience.”​

Ceará

The northeastern state of Ceará is home to a magnificent coastline and Brazil’s fourth-largest city, Fortaleza. On Jericoacoara, a pristine strip of sand just south of the equator, the Chili Beach has just six suites and a Brazilian-Mediterranean fusion restaurant, Rico. Close by is Préa Beach, where the relatively new resort Casana has become a destination for kitesurfing from June to January, the sport’s high season. The seven-bungalow boutique property welcomes both experts and beginners.

Trancoso, Bahia

From left: A former private home that is now part of Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa; the bedroom at Casa do Lago, one of the accommodations at Uxua.

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The opening of Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa in 2009 transformed the sleepy fishing village of Trancoso into a boho-chic hot spot. The owners of the hotel, which has 17 villas, including a tree house, recently opened Uxua Maré, a 20-minute drive down the coast from the original property. Uxua Maré currently has just three villas: the single-suite Casa Azul and three-suite Casa Amarela are refurbished farmhouses, while Casa Branca is a ranch-style three-bedroom. All are tucked into the rainforest but have private pergolas on Itapororoca Beach. Four more villas will open in 2026.