Fera Palace Hotel

There’s no city in Brazil or anywhere else quite like Salvador, and the 1934 Art Deco–style Fera Palace Hotel is a local treasure. In some ways it’s still the same grand hotel it was during its midcentury heyday, when it hosted Carmen Miranda, Pablo Neruda, and Orson Welles; look closer, though, and you’ll see a hotel that has kept pace with the times, and whose interiors have been renovated, subtly modernized, and updated with everything you expect from a contemporary luxury hotel.

In the public spaces, the original Art Deco styling has been beautifully preserved, and seamlessly merged with complementary modern elements. The rooms add mid-century modernist furniture to the equation, as well as photographs depicting a variety of scenes from Salvador’s urban life. And while the Standard rooms are smallish, they’re certainly comfortable, and as you ascend the range the square footage increases commensurately.

The rooftop pool deck is a little slice of heaven, with views of Todos os Santos Bay as well as the Fera Lounge, serving cocktails and light fare. The social heart of the hotel, however, is the lobby-level restaurant and bar, whose sunny double-height spaces echo the inimitable glamour of the Art Deco era.