Vila d’este

One under-appreciated drawback to a hotel that’s located right on the beach (the up side is obvious, we hope) is that the view tends to be less than extraordinary. A horizon is a horizon. The best sea views come from on high — see Santorini for an example. So Vila d’este is a rather steep flight of stairs from the beach, on the Atlantic coast of Búzios. Watch one sunset from the clifftop pool deck, though, and you’ll no doubt consider the staircase a very fair price.

Nineteen rooms and suites is somewhere in the neighborhood of the ideal size for a small boutique; small enough to be exceedingly private and intimate, but big enough for a bit of social life and a convivial atmosphere around the breakfast tables. The accommodations are subtly stylish, obviously assembled with a designer’s eye, but without much in the way of designer furniture — most of the pieces are rustic, as are the materials, and the ambience is more antique-chic than design-mag.

There’s not a ton to do, which is largely the point. There’s a sauna and a jacuzzi, but the twin pools are the centerpieces, where guests lounge and bask in the views of the bay. Ultimately the picture is one of fashionable, slightly dissipated decadence, with a perspective that only comes from a high angle.

Please note:
Children 14 and older are welcome.

How to get there:
Vila d'Este is approximately a 2 1/2 hour drive from Rio de Janeiro.