Image courtesy of Belmond

Belmond Copacabana Palace

You can’t beat the grande dame, the face of Rio glamour since it was inaugurated in 1923. Don’t be deceived by the old-fashioned facade; there’s nothing out of date about the service or facilities. With a new Asian fusion restaurant, Mee, joining the classic Cipriani, the hotel is a magnet for those in search of the best Rio has to offer.

Image courtesy of the Grand Hyatt

Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro

The large, deeply luxurious suites are a marvel, as is the matchless breakfast. But the special sauce in the Hyatt’s recipe is the utterly charming, superbly trained staff. The hotel is in Barra da Tijuca, the district that hosts most of the Olympic venues, and there are endless soft sandy beaches nearby.

Image courtesy of Hotel Fasano

Hotel Fasano 

As sleek and streamlined as the Copa is expansive and baroque, the Fasano brings luxury to the Ipanema beachfront. The rooms are smallish but well designed, with lavish details and views to die for. The panorama from the roof terrace takes in the Two Brothers peaks and Christ the Redeemer, making sunset cocktails very special indeed.

Image courtesy of Santa Teresa Hotel

Santa Teresa Hotel

The Santa Teresa Hotel RJ MGallery by Sofitel cultivates an exclusive, mysterious air from the outside, but it’s warm and comfortable on the inside. Its superb restaurant, Térèze, serves Pablo Ferreyra’s outstanding dishes, such as sparklingly fresh lobster and exquisite lamb chops, in an utterly romantic setting.

Image courtesy of Vila Santa Teresa

Vila Santa Teresa

This incredible boutique hotel high in the hills has what may be the best views of any hotel in Rio—the city, the bay, the ocean, the mountains—from its lovely pool deck and its luxurious, faultlessly designed rooms. Elegant, restrained luxury reigns in the 1970s mansion, which is set on an immense, leafy estate.