Santa Teresa Hotel RJ - MGallery

Santa Teresa Hotel RJ - MGallery is in the bohemian district of Santa Teresa in Rio, which has long attracted writers, artists and musicians and is home to great nightlife and a wealth of historic attractions.

The hotel's award-winning rooms and suites are bright, spacious and beautifully decorated with traditionally designed Brazilian furniture and organic touches such as carved wooden tables and chairs, as well as marbled cement baths, lustrous wooden floors and slate walls.

Showcasing the minimalist feel of a sleek penthouse apartment, they have shady verandas - the perfect place to spot toucans and marmosets in the tropical gardens - and gorgeous views of Guanabara Bay, the city and the sun setting behind Tijuca Mountain. 

The Tereze restaurant is regularly voted one of the best restaurants in the city, if not the country. Popular with Rio's beautiful people, it combines contemporary design with haute cuisine and stunning views. This glamorous restaurant offers gourmet cuisine at breakfast, lunch and dinner, specialising in French-Brazilian gourmet cuisine which has won several awards, which you can enjoy while admiring the views over Guanabara Bay.

The romantic Bar dos Descasados, with its red-and-white tiled floors, stone arches and daybeds to recline on, is a great place to relax with a cocktail or aperitif in an attractive Moorish-style setting. 

The spa is a serene escape from the bustle and chaos of Rio de Janeiro and offers a range of rejuvenating massage and spa therapies courtesy of its team of expert therapists. There’s also a large pool with an outdoor sun terrace – perfect for chilling out after a day in the urban chaos of Rio.

Santa Teresa, the district from which the hotel takes its name, is a bohemian and arty area home to lots of great bars, restaurants and galleries which are hotspots with those in the know, as well as being a treasure chest of architecture, from Neoclassical to Art Deco. If you can drag yourself away from the lush gardens and poolside sundeck, local attractions include the Parque das Ruinas, home to the remains of a mansion which hosted Brazilian artists and luminaries in the 1920s and 30s, and the Museu da Chacara do Ceu, where a range of artworks by Brazilian and international artists are on display.

Santa Teresa is also within easy reach of Rio’s most famous attractions, including Copacabana Beach, Christ the Redeemer, and Parque Nacional da Tijuca. Forgo a taxi into town and instead jump on Rio's historic Santa Teresa tramway, which passes through the famous Lapa viaduct.