Villa Paranaguá Hotel & Spa - Boutique Hotel

Beside Rua Visconde de Paranaguá in Rio's Santa Teresa hillside district, Villa Paranaguá Hotel & Spa occupies a restored colonial mansion above the old tramline, its five-star rooms wrapped around a tiled inner courtyard. The steep cobbled streets around it favor slow exploration over drive-through sightseeing.

A small spa operates in the former cellar, and the rooftop terrace looks across red rooftops toward Guanabara Bay. Lapa's arches and nightlife sit a fifteen-minute walk downhill, making the hotel suited to couples and travelers who prefer a quieter base removed from the beach-zone crowds of Copacabana and Ipanema.