Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio’s most iconic beachfront address

Right on Ipanema Beach, Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro captures the city’s most effortless kind of cool. Everything feels light, sun-warmed and quietly iconic, from the first step into the lobby to the last look back at the ocean.

Rooms are design-forward and calm, with a polished mid-century Brazilian feel. There are 88 in total, including 10 suites. Entry categories look inland, while most other rooms face the beach, with beds and pillows angled towards the windows so you wake up to sea and light. Suites turn up the volume with extra space and balconies made for long, languid afternoons.

Then comes the rooftop, the headline for a reason. An infinity pool sits high above the shoreline, with that instantly recognisable sweep of sand and the Dois Irmãos peaks holding the horizon. It’s the sort of view that makes time slow down, best enjoyed between a swim, a sunlounger pause, and a cocktail that somehow tastes better up here.