• Introduction
• Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro
• Things to Do in Buenos Aires
• Iguazu Falls
• Rio de Janeiro Hotels
• Buenos Aires Hotels
• Iguazu Falls Hotels and Restaurants
• Rio de Janeiro Restaurants
• Buenos Aires Restaurants
• Rio de Janeiro Nightlife
• Buenos Aires Nightlife
• Getting There
• Visa Requirements
• What Not to Miss

Rio de Janeiro Hotels

Rio's hotels are as famous as its beaches. None of them more so than the 328-room Copacabana Palace (Av. Atlântia 1702; 800/237-1236; www.copacabanapalace.com.br) that's been welcoming the well-heeled since 1923, when it opened as Rio's first world-class resort. The legendary 83-year old hotel is a fine choice if you want to be in the thick of Copacabana's action. But keep in mind that while Copacabana gets most of the attention, it also gets busloads of tourists, all the package-tour operators, plus trinket vendors, and bauble shops.

We recommend staying in and around more upscale Ipanema, where the best luxury-value option is the five-star beachfront Caesar Park Ipanema Hotel (Av. Vieira Souto 460; 011-55-21-2525-2525; www.caesarpark-rio.com), an understated high-rise with 190 spacious ocean view rooms, flawless service, and a swanky rooftop pool area – all situated prominently on one of the most famous beaches in the world. A few blocks away, the tastefully outfitted 140-rooms of the Ipanema Plaza (Rua Farme de Amoedo 34; 011-55-21-3687-2000; www.ipanemaplazahotel.com) is a great-value alternative with contemporary touches and its own rooftop pool with superb views. Another excellent choice is in Leblon, a trendy residential area just north of Ipanema where the city's first boutique hotel, Marina All-Suites (Av. Delfim Moreira 696; 011-55-21-2540-4990; www.marinaallsuites.com.br), offers 38 ocean view suites, eight of them designed by Brazilian artists; supermodels Gisele Bundchen and Naomi Campbell both reportedly favor the Diamante suite.