6 Best Hotels in Porto Alegre, The South

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.