Best Hotel Bets

Hotel Sofitel (Rio de Janeiro; tel. 0800/241-232 or 021/2525-1232): Considered Rio's best hotel, the Sofitel combines old-world elegance and style with one of the city's best locations, across from the Copacabana Fort and steps from Ipanema.

Marina All Suites Hotel (Rio de Janeiro; tel. 021/2540-4990 or 021/2540-5212): The Marina All Suites is Rio's first design hotel; all suites are luxuriously furnished. The two-bedroom oceanview Diamante suite is surely the city's most beautiful suite.

Portinari (Rio de Janeiro; tel. 021/3288-8800): Designed by eight different Brazilian designers and architects, the hotel offers a wonderful showcase of Brazilian style and inventiveness; everything from the furniture to the lighting and accessories is unique. Best of all, this style doesn't get in the way of comfort.

Sheraton Rio Hotel & Towers (Rio de Janeiro; tel. 0800/210-750 or 021/2274-1122): The Sheraton Rio is the only hotel that's really on the beach. No crossing the street; just walk down the steps and you're on the sand.

Colonna Park Hotel (Búzios; tel. 022/2623-2245): On a hillside overlooking two beaches in Búzios, Colonna Park has one of the best views in town. The elegantly furnished rooms are done in cool blue and white, and the best room in the house has a deck with views of both beaches.

Unique (São Paulo; tel. 011/3055-4700): Extraordinary high design, rooms and suites featuring the cleanest-of-clean white-on-white decor, luscious bedding, sparkling bathrooms with Jacuzzi tubs, a plethora of room gadgets, plus a rooftop view of the Avenida Paulista's power skyscrapers and lush green Ibirapuera park.

Marian Palace (São Paulo; tel. 0800/558-433 or 011/3228-8433): Built in the '40s by a Polish princess, the Marian Palace is a lovely Art Deco gem. Wherever possible the furniture and accessories (think lampshades, carpets, and even the colored-tile bathrooms) have been maintained.

Tropical Manaus Eco Resort (Manaus; tel. 0800/701-2670 or 092/3659-5000): The Tropical Hotel in Manaus is without a doubt the hotel in town. Set in its own piece of rainforest on the banks of the Rio Negro, the hotel is built in an elegant colonial style. Rooms are spacious, and the amenities are top-notch; archery lessons, a zoo, wakeboard lessons, a wave pool, salon, and more await you in the middle of the Amazon.

Bourbon Foz do Iguaçu (Foz do Iguaçu; tel. 0800/451-010 or 045/3529-0123): Make sure you don't forget to see the falls! The Bourbon Hotel has plenty to keep you busy. Over 3km (2 miles) of trails through orchards and tree nurseries are the perfect place to watch for toucans, butterflies, and parrots. The pool deck has three large pools to soak up those rays or an indoor wave pool and spa for a dreary day. Active types can play a game of tennis, try the climbing wall, and play volleyball or soccer.