Ditch the five stars and explore Rio through these boutique hotels

1 Hotel Fasano
Hotel Fasano bears the aesthetic stylings of design heavyweights like Philippe Starck, Oscar Niemeyer and Sergio Rodrigues. Often described as a masterful example of understated elegance, Hotel Fasano attracts A-listers for its prime location in the heart of Ipanema, its penthouse swimming pool, and stunning views of the Atlantic. All 79 rooms and 10 suites feature a balcony and marble bathrooms. Kingsize beds are covered with Egyptian cotton sheets, goose down duvets, and are designed to maximize views of the sea.

2 Hotel Santa Teresa
Set among lush gardens in Rio’s neighborhood of Santa Teresa, this boutique hotel pays tribute to its historic past as a coffee plantation mansion by using natural and ecological materials like dark tropical woods and banana tree fiber in its 44 rooms. Walls are decorated with folk art created by native artisans. Palm trees fan guests at the outdoor pool, while they sip on caipirinha after their Xingu massage or Amazonian oil bath, and their dinner.



3 La Suite by Dussol
La Suite by Dussol is located at a half hour drive from Ipanema, tucked into a residential area of Joa. The boutique hotel is known for its chic design and panoramic views of the ocean, Ipanema beach, the forest of Tijuca, Christ the Redeemer and the Cagarras Islands. Designed by Frenchman Francois-Xavier, rooms are themed after a single color — black, white, purple, green, pink, blue and yellow — to reflect the kaleidoscope of Rio’s tropical color palette and decorated with original, local art.



4 Mama Ruisa
Guests in search of a quiet, bed and breakfast-type experience will want to look into the Mama Ruisa which offers seven rooms in the Santa Teresa area of Rio. It is popular for its cobblestone streets and bohemian vibe. Palm tree fronds brush at guest windows as rooms overlook the mansion’s tropical gardens and are decorated in flea market finds that illustrate Rio’s colonial past.



5 Casa Mosquito
Designed by Frenchmen Benjamin Cano Planes and Louis Planes, Casa Mosquito is the result of a major restoration that transformed a sprawling private home into a boutique hotel made up of nine rooms. Suites pay homage to Rio icons like Carmen Miranda, Pixinguinha, Madame Satan, and are decorated with pieces curated from Paris, Rio and Sao Paulo. Décor is clean and modern with statement wallpaper and crisp white bedding.