Mama Ruisa

No hotel offers better views of the Sugarloaf and Guanabara Bay than this elegant, exquisitely decorated boutique in the hills of bohemian Santa Teresa.

The hotel is an intimate converted belle époque townhouse, set in tropical gardens, littered with art collected personally by the French owner – from indigenous woodcarvings to Jean Cocteau drawings.

Its seven rooms are decorated with a Brazilian or European theme (Amazon, Colette, Maria Callas) and include a self-contained apartment furnished with Bossa Nova era Brazilian furniture by famous names including Fasanello, Carlo Hauner, Martin Eisler. There are breathtaking views from most and from the swimming pool garden.