The hangovers of Brazilian Carnival are still lingering after this past long weekend saw partygoers dancing and celebrating their way through South America's most exciting days--and if you think you want to be there next year, we want to recommend the Cocoon Hotel in Salvador, Bahia state.
The Cocoon already considers itself famous as "the first spaceship hotel" in the world. It's definitely got a wacky sci-fi look about it, and we think that puts it in a bit of a partying mode, which is just what you're looking for during Carnival.
There are just 27 rooms a the Cocoon, so get in early if you want a room for next February. And remember that it's quirky, not too expensive (rooms are usually less than $200 a night), and is frequented by a young and equally quirky crowd--put it this way, don't expect peace and quiet at Carnival time. It's one of those hotels where it's more than just somewhere to stay, the hotel is part of the sightseeing itself.
If you thought you'd never live to see the day where staying at a Best Western hotel actually came recommended, then brace yourself.
Just in time for Rio's Carnival, we've uncovered this discounted Brazilian gem, Best Western Sol Ipanema, off Ipanema Beach. For a Best Western, the décor is uncharacteristically trendy and rooms look on par with what you might find elsewhere at a more expensive price. The property also offers a rooftop pool and, like the girl from Ipanema, its restaurant looks straight at the sea.
And perhaps our mind is in the gutter today, but another reason we love this hotel is that its web site promotes a Carnival deal by announcing, "Check our package!" Really, how could you resist?
We didn't, and found that the promotion, starting at $2,585 for a deluxe beachfront room, requires a minimum four-night stay and offers a complimentary full Brazilian breakfast buffet.
It seems David Beckham would like to do more with his career aside from posing in bulge-friendly underwear for Emporio Armani.
The upcoming Cabo São Roque resort area in Brazil has announced that Beckham will open his David Beckham World of Sport on their property.
. This professional athlete training centre, designed and planned with his full co-operation, will include world-class facilities and eight football (soccer) pitches (fields), with the ability to accommodate resort guests and visiting teams alike.
Beckham also announced that the facility will incorporate a scholarship program for Brazilian children that will actively outreach to schools in the region.
As for the resort area, it's being hailed as the newest luxury destination on the ocean with "abundant natural resources." It will feature three 4-6 star luxury hotels, residential villas and houses, along with an International Tennis Academy (paging Roger Federer) and a Golf Academy (ditto Tiger Woods.)
Aside from Beckham's school there will also be The Rubens Barrichello Driving Experience from Brazil's F1 champion Rubens Barrichello. Both Barrichello and Beckham have reportedly bought houses in the yet-to-be-built area.
Cubicle Dreamin' is a feature in which we ask the hotel mavens to take some time out of their busy work day, surf the Internet, and tell us what hotel they wish they could beam themselves to right that very second--all on the slave driving companies dime, of course. Oh, like these people aren't surfing aimlessly anyway--at least now their purposeless clicking will be cobbled together into useful hotel stories--we hope. Have a destination hotel you are just dying to leave your cube for? Send the story our way.
In this episode, Hotel Maven Amanda K heads to Brazil. Enjoy.
This week my dream trip is out into the middle of the jungle. In the Amazon, to be precise, because I've made a heap of Brazilian friends in the last few months who keep giving me tips on where to visit. And my latest plan is to hang out for a few days at the Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel in the Amazon rain forest near the town of Manuas.
The Ariau Amazon Towers is a pretty special place. It's a set of towers built above the water and connected by wooden walkways, with your accommodation about at the height of the rain forest canopy. By all reports it's not the fanciest hotel in the world, but it has the basics and more, including air conditioning and internet access.
There are monkeys wandering around the walkways too, in case you ever need reminding that you're in the middle of nature. And the hotel also offers quite a few tours, like piranha fishing, caiman spotting and a jungle hike. It definitely sounds like the kind of hotel where I wouldn't be surprised to see Tarzan swinging over the balcony to visit me.
If Brazil is chosen to host the 2014 World Cup, football fans from all over the world would get brand new find floating hotels to stay in, said Brazil's local government officials during a weekend pitch for the treasured FIFA event.
Of course, we, being hotel fetishists, wondered -- will these floating hotels be anything like the current crop buoyant bookings available worldwide? If so, FIFA officials may cringe or celebrated, depending on which hotel example is used as the prototype.
Ricardo Freire a travel blogger based in São Paulo alerted us to his recent stay at the Hotel Fasano Rio by Ipanema Beach which is still in a pre-opening stage.
Apparently, this hotel has quite a backstory. Not exactly in the same way as Six Columbus but still high-drama.
Ricardo tells us the place was intended to be run by the Faena hotel people in Buenos Aires but at some point, the Fasano group took over (these people already run one of Rio's hot restaurants, the Gero).
However, the new owners design style did not sit well with Philippe Starck who was originally set to do the interior. Ricardo writes:
They've spent the past 18 months quabbling over every detail and piece of furniture, with a clear victory on Fasano's side, who managed to de-Starck the hotel considerably. You can still see Starck almost everywhere, but there's a lot of chic and no shock.
Chances are, the designer guests will be talking about after their stay is Sergio Rodrigues, who back in the 60's designed the chairs that are seen in rooms, balconies and at the lounge off the lobby.
Very interesting indeed. Ricardo also gives us helpful room choices. For instance, the "courtyard" rooms start at $405 but he says not to bother with them. Instead splurge on the sea-view superior or deluxe rooms at $515 and $620 respectively.
Check out the lot of pictures Ricardo has posted over at his blog. But the descriptions are all in Portuguese.
Cubicle Dreamin' is a feature in which we ask the hotel mavens to take some time out of their busy work day, surf the Internet, and tell us what hotel they wish they could beam themselves to right that very second--all on the slave driving companies dime, of course. Oh, like these people aren't surfing aimlessly anyway--at least now their purposeless clicking will be cobbled together into useful hotel stories--we hope. Have a destination hotel you are just dying to leave your cube for? Send the story our way.
In this episode, Hotel Maven Amanda K picks out her first choice for a Brazilian getaway. Enjoy.
I'm always dreaming up new destinations and since I've made a bunch of new friends from Brazilian mega-city São Paulo recently, it seems like a good place for a holiday.
Trusting the TripAdvisor gang, their number one stay in São Paulo is the Emiliano Hotel. We've already remarked on the rooftop spa and recent guests still love this, but the list of other positives seems pretty much endless. Sometime during the day, room service stops by with complimentary fruit (and fancy-looking fruit at that), and desserts later on. The rooms are stylishly decorated without being overdone, the beds are comfortable and even the linen is well-loved. But the most popular perk at the Emiliano is the excellent service:
The staff is really who make this hotel stand out. I've stayed at other Sao Paulo botique hotels and this one has the best staff, by far. Why? ... Everybody here, and I mean from the cleaning lady to the reception staff to the butlers, act like they are hosting you in their own homes.
The compliments roll on at TripAdvisor so I feel pretty confident that it's worth recommending. And the only thing my Brazilian friends have been warning me about--making sure you stay in a safe area--is also taken care of here. The Emiliano is in the Jardins district and in the best shopping street of São Paulo. Only it sounds like one of those hotels I'll never actually want to leave the hotel and do any sightseeing or visiting pals.
Don't believe in real world Peter Parkers? Check this out.
Flickr photog Mistca was enjoying a birthday dinner at Le Saint Honore, the restaurant atop Le Meridien Hotel in Leme, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and snapped the above excellent photo for posterity.
After dinner, things got downright ugly:
I took a nice stroll along the beach on Av. Atlantica. It was very beautiful warm and romantic.... until 3 guys approached me with a big knife and wanted me to surrender my backpack in which I had my camera.
All my subsequent action were on auto-pilot: I kicked the guy's hand that was holding the knife, screamed like a wild animal, and ran away towards the street with passing cars. At that point I tripped and spilled on the pavement..... The would-be-robbers however got scared and ran away. If they succeeded I would not have had either my camera or this image....
The things travel super-heroes will do for the perfect hotel view shot. What do you bet the attackers names were Eddie Brock and Flint Marko--beach, photos--had to be, right?
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by amandak
