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Given Belo Horizonte's hills and the long walking distances between key places of interest, the location of your hotel is crucial. To capture a glimpse of everyday life here, the City Center is the best place to be—particularly the region around Avenida Afonso Pena. While the City Center pulses during the day, it's somewhat gritty at night. For an upmarket area with sophisticated evening entertainment, consider the Lourdes and Savassi neighborhoods, around Avenida do Contorno. These are home to top restaurants and bars serving local and international food. The drawback to staying here, though, is the uphill climb from the main tourist destinations in the City Center.
The lobby of this centrally located hotel, one of the city's oldest, is often crowded with conventioneers. Rooms are clean and in fine working order, but are inexpensively furnished and outdated style-wise. Ask for one of the refurbished rooms on the higher floors. There is a small rooftop pool and bar with great views of the city.
