Santa Teresa hotel: Rio's first Relais & Châteaux

By Alexandra Forbes

I've written before about the hotel Santa Teresa, in the eponymous district known for its colourful façades and old trams (above)... Opened in 2008, it is the most relevant addition to Rio's hotel scene since the opening of the Fasano Rio (in 2007).

Previously a historic private estate called Chácara dos Guimarães (pictured above), which was a working coffee plantation for many years, it was converted into a minimalistic white-washed inn where humble materials like raw linens and cottons, coconut shells and banana-tree fibres were used to rustic-luxe effect. 

Burnt cement, bordeaux or golden slate, red and dark tropical woods, and timeless modernisitc furniture by acclaimed designer Sergio Rodrigues complete the look.

The hotel is sprinkled with artifacts and art made by the Xingu and Tupi Guarani Indians, as well as iconic pieces referencing Afro-Brazilian traditions and the states of Pernambuco, Bahia and Rio de Janeiro.

From all rooms and the gardens, panoramic views of the city, the harbor and bay of Rio.

Vases of tropical flowers and an abundance of Amazonian artifacts complete the exotic-Brazil look of the Relais & Châteaux property, owned by a team of investors led by Frenchman François Delort. 

The Loft Suite, the hotel's best, won Wallpaper Magazine's 2010 Design Awards for best suite.

François Delort not only directs the hotel but also decorated the beautiful restaurant with unusual materials: eucalyptus branches double as privacy screens while the brownish sheen that lends the floors a warm feel was achieved with a coat of re-used diesel! 

Hotel Santa Teresa
R. Almirante Alexandrino, 660 - Santa Teresa – Rio de Janeiro
www.santateresahotel.com
Tel (21) 2221-1406
reservas@santateresahotel.com.br




Hotel Santa Teresa: