MGallery Santa Teresa Hotel
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Santa Teresa
Vibe
Perched in the bohemian hills, tropical gardens and panoramic Guanabara Bay views frame a relaxed, art-filled retreat.
“Bohemian plantation citadel”
Brazilian modernist furnishings by Sergio Rodrigues pair with reclaimed jacaranda hardwoods and native golden slate.
Restored 1850s coffee plantation mansion retaining its historic brick arches and colonial estate grounds.
Hillside bohemian Santa Teresa setting framed by indigenous crafts, tropical fruit trees, and panoramic bay vistas.
In the bohemian Santa Teresa hills overlooking Guanabara Bay, a winding drive up from central Rio.
“The place is packed with indigenous arts and crafts, and the interior design is nothing if not subtle: though it’s full of iconic design pieces...”
Rooms
Sunlight filters through wooden shutters across airy spaces appointed with native Brazilian hardwoods, golden slate showers, and local artwork.
“The luxury hotel was once an 18th-century coffee plantation and is now a chic, eclectic boutique hotel…”
Wellness
A stone swimming pool gazes over Guanabara Bay, complemented by garden yoga, a Finnish sauna, and Japanese ofuro soaking tubs.
“this former derelict mansion has 44 rooms, all with wood floors, and sun-filtering shutters that nod to the tropical without hitting guests over…”
Backstory
Dating to the 1850s, this restored coffee plantation estate retains its original brick arches and neoclassical proportions high above the city.
Eat & drink
Térèze pairs contemporary Latin American fare with treetop bay views, while Bar dos Descasados pours artisanal cachaça cocktails across its breezy terrace.
The neighborhood
Santa Teresa unfolds along cobbled hillside lanes lined with nineteenth-century mansions, independent art studios, and bohemian street cafes.
More like this
Hotel Nacional Rio de Janeiro
“Modernist coastal revival”
Central
Hotel Arpoador
“Modernist beachside bolthole”
Lively
Yoo2 Rio de Janeiro
“Carioca design stage”
Central
The app
This is one hotel. The app has every one we rate, in your pocket, for the whole trip.
Our shorthand
What makes a hotel special, how well they pull it off, and what it feels like outside the door.
How well they pull it off
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
They did this well. You’ll notice.
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Architecture and interiors lead. There’s a creative vision at work.
The guest is conspicuously well cared for. Requests met before they’re made.
Rooted in place. Local character runs through the whole stay.
Energy and scene. Where the city goes out, whether or not it’s sleeping here.
A building with history. The story of the place is part of the stay.
Built around feeling better. Rest, sweat, soak, spa.
A hotel the city grew up with. Same rituals, same regulars.
A world of its own. No reason to leave the property.
Scene — what’s outside the door
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
A place apart: the property is the destination.