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The South has a great variety of hotels and inns. Except for in the smallest towns and most remote areas, however, you shouldn't have a problem finding comfortable accommodations. Pousadas in historic buildings are common, particularly in beach towns. Hotel-fazendas (farmhouse hotels) are popular in rural areas. Southern beaches attract many South American tourists, and seaside cities might become crowded and highway traffic nightmarish from December through March. Make advance reservations.
This renowned hotel has lush rooms with verandas, most of which give ample views of the beach; some are apartments with a small kitchen, perfect for longer stays. You're just steps from the popular Jurerê Beach. The hotel is a prime destination for South American visitors, especially Argentines, and a minimum stay of one week is usually required in high season (December–March). The Z Perry restaurant ($$–$$$) serves international fare with seafood specialties.
In the fashionable neighborhood of Moinhos de Vento, the Sheraton sets the city's standard of luxury; the level of comfort is outstanding, from the lobby to the top-floor rooms. All rooms have plush king-size beds and subdued decor with dark-wood furnishings. In the Brazil Suite you'll find 18th-century-style wooden furniture and copies of paintings by the French artist Debret, whose works depict rural scenes of colonial Brazil. The restaurant, Porto Alegre Bistrô ($$–$$$), offers Mediterranean fare accompanied by live piano performances each weekday evening. The hotel is in the same complex as the Moinhos de Vento Mall.
This hotel is recommended for sophisticated business or leisure travelers. The decor is sober, with custom antique-style furniture and textured wallpaper. The restaurant, Le Bourbon, serves French-Swiss dishes, but the Brazilian feijoada (a hearty stew of black beans and pork) is the Saturday special.
Tourists are lured to this downtown budget option for its many business amenities, such as two phone lines for every room. Rooms are utilitarian, with plain and cheap-looking furnishings and carpeted floors, but the hotel is close to central attractions and the bus terminal, and access to the airport is quick and easy.
At this small, comfortable hotel, the rooms and suites are unusually spacious and come with large beds, blond-wood furniture, and carpeting. Bathrooms are heated—hard to find in Brazil, but welcome in the cold Curitiba winters—and the hotel has a sauna in the gym. Another draw is the location, mere steps from Rua 24 Horas, a shopping complex with several small stores and cafés.
Close to the museums and cathedral, this unassuming central hotel features spacious rooms and modern decor. The staff is well trained and can help you find tours and activities. The top-floor restaurant, popular with businesspeople, has a view of the Guaíba riverfront.
Widely regarded as Curitiba's finest hotel, the Four Points is geared toward the discriminating business traveler. The lobby is spacious and modern, and room decor is a mix of modern and classic, with pastel colors and sleek wood furniture. The restaurant serves Italian fare.
Considered one of the finest lodging options on the shores of Rio Grande do Sul, this hotel is within walking distance of Watchtower State Park and its beaches. The all-white rooms are sleek, with colorful bedding and furnishings. Ask for a room with a balcony facing either the sea or the park.
The first member of the Holiday Inn family in South Brazil is in the booming business district of Bela Vista, which not too long ago was a purely residential neighborhood. The decor is modern; rooms have king-size beds.
Lush, meticulously furnished suites with hot tubs await discerning guests at this popular hotel. Rooms facing west have a grand view of the bay and Hercílio Luz Bridge. From here, quick access to the business district is guaranteed. Beaches are farther away, but access is easy.
Cozy up in the poolside Jacuzzi to watch an epic sunset over the mainland at this hotel on the northern tip of Florianópolis. The hotel's Canto do Mar restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, buffet-style. Request a room with a balcony overlooking the bay for the best sunset views. Stroll to nearby Ponta das Canas Beach, and stick your feet in the sand at the Garra Azul restaurant, by the same owners, while trying siri na manga, a tasty crab and mango appetizer, or crunchy octopus with a chili jelly.
Tops among the city's roster of budget lodgings, the Íbis is stocked with undistinguished and bland rooms, although the beds are comfortable. The hotel is no-frills: be prepared to carry your own luggage. The reception desk and the restaurant are in restored historic houses that are detached from the main building. Íbis is one of the few hotels in Curitiba that has wheelchair-accessible rooms.
If you're looking for service and basic facilities like those you can find back home, Íbis is a reliable choice. The decor is undistinguished, but almost all rooms have comfortable queen-size beds. It's one of the few hotels in the area to offer rooms for people with disabilities.
Although it has much to offer, this midsize hotel's main attraction is its location on the popular (and therefore crowded in high season) Praia dos Ingleses. The pool is one step from the beach, making the Lexus a great place to enjoy the warm northern waters. Choose the bay-facing apartments with balconies where you can hang your hammock and feel the sea breeze. Rooms are sleek, with colorful bedspreads and blond-wood furniture.
If you're looking for great facilities and convenient location, Plaza Blumenau is your best bet. Rooms have a sober decor, with dark-wood furnishings and bluish carpeting. Some bathroms have whirlpool baths. The Terrace restaurant ($$$) serves international cuisine with an emphasis on things German.
Long one of the city's most sophisticated hotels, the Plaza San Rafael features a lobby and commons clad in white marble and dark-wood paneling, along with comfortable, tastefully furnished rooms painted in light colors. All suites have whirlpool baths whose hot water is supplied by a thermal spring in the basement. The Plaza Grill ($$–$$$) serves international fare. The San Rafael convention center is just across the street.
This charming inn has a homey atmosphere, especially in the rooms with Brazilian-pine floors and wall panels, fireplaces, and colorful, locally made bedspreads. The rates are reasonable and it's in a peaceful location—3 km (2 miles) from the noisy downtown district, with a handful of good restaurants nearby.
This prestigious downtown hotel is synonymous with fine lodging in the region. Its architecture is German Bavarian style—a trademark of Gramado—and the room decor is elegant and sober, with dark-wood furnishings. At the recanto (lounge area) in the evenings guests can experience gaúcho traditions like chimarrão (tea brewed with yerba mate) paired with folkloric rhythms played by local musicians. The location is prime for browsing the myriad shops, cafés, and restaurants of the city.
In a landmark building overlooking the Rua das Flores walkway, Slaviero Slim in downtown Curitiba has large rooms with wood paneling and matching furniture. Beds are king-size, with colorful spreads and cushions that invite you to relax. Rooms in the east wing are smaller and oddly shaped, and elevators there are cramped because of the original building plan. The second-floor Getúlio bar-café is a popular gathering spot for businesspeople.
Not only the nicest accommodations in the region, the Tenondé Park Hotel is a fine hotel by any standards; the large rooms have colonial-style furnishings and arched doorways that echo the design of the mission a few blocks away. The well-trained staff is knowledgeable about the missions and other attractions in the region. The restaurant serves standard Brazilian fare.
