Rio de Janeiro, BrazilSanta Teresa
Villa Paranaguá Hotel & SPA (SPA e Restaurante apenas por Reserva)
Restored modernist villa
Santa Teresa Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Opened
2020
Price
$$$
Rated for
Design Heritage LuxeOutside the door
Restored modernist villa
The restored estate runs like a private residence, where ten rooms share quiet salons and gardens overlooking Sugarloaf Mountain.
What it’s good at
Notable
Mid-century Sérgio Rodrigues armchairs furnish restored salons alongside reclaimed architectural woodwork.
Notable
A twentieth-century mansion once home to actress Tônia Carrero, restored under heritage oversight.
Listed
Spacious veranda suites and quiet residential service across a ten-room hillside estate.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Villa Paranaguá is exemplary, offering a tranquil residential experience in a century-old villa with a long history as a haven for artists and intellectuals.
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Santa Teresa's leafy streets wind through the hills above the southern beaches, sitting just a short ride from downtown Rio.
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The rooms
Suites open onto private verandas above the grounds, with bathroom counters crafted from timber salvaged during the house's restoration.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
A 20-meter infinity pool stretches along the stone terrace, bordered by black loungers beneath towering palm trees.
The spa
A wood-paneled dry sauna looks onto garden foliage, and two treatment rooms are set aside for Californian massage.
At the table
Tables spill onto the terrace for breakfast under the palms. Inside, the lounge serves French-Brazilian plates around a reclaimed-wood bar.
How it began
The mansion once housed architecture students as a communal residence before a French-Brazilian family spent five years restoring it.
Rio de Janeiro
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.