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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 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.
Right in the historic district, Camboa Resort has comfortable facilities, a long roster of activities, and a dedicated staff that can arrange tours in the region. The modern architecture and red-tile roofs blend nicely with the colonial surroundings. Rooms have a sleek design, with blond-wood furnishings and light colors. Ask to be on the north side for a bay view. Continental cuisine, with an emphasis on French, is served in the Camboa restaurant ($$).
The first member of the Holiday Inn family in South Brazil is in the booming business district of Bela Vista, which not too long ago was a purely residential neighborhood. The decor is modern; rooms have king-size beds.
Lush, meticulously furnished suites with hot tubs await discerning guests at this popular hotel. Rooms facing west have a grand view of the bay and Hercílio Luz Bridge. From here, quick access to the business district is guaranteed. Beaches are farther away, but access is easy.
This family-friendly hotel in a resort complex allows guests to sit around the lounge fireplace and enjoy panoramic views of the Quilombo Valley. The room decor is sleek and modern, with brushed-steel accents, lush bedding, and gleaming wood furnishings. West-facing rooms have stunning mountain views. Guests can use the amenities of the resort, like the swimming pools and the tennis courts. The resort offers larger apartment-like rooms with living rooms and kitchenettes at the contiguous Hotel Mountain Village.
If you're looking for great facilities and convenient location, Plaza Blumenau is your best bet. Rooms have a sober decor, with dark-wood furnishings and bluish carpeting. Some bathroms have whirlpool baths. The Terrace restaurant ($$$) 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.
Immerse yourself in the region's rugged landscapes by staying at this inn on a working gaúcho horse-and-cattle farm: the 1,200-acre Fazenda Baio Ruano. This pousada is a wooden building made with Paraná pine wood. Rooms are no-frills and downright rustic, but beds are comfortable, and there's central heating (rare in these parts). The ample lounge with a fireplace has great views of the surrounding hills covered with native grass meadows and dotted with Paraná pine trees. There are waterfalls and woods in the area; consider exploring them on horseback and perhaps trekking into the canyons beyond.
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.
Casa Valduga winery maintains four redbrick houses with large, comfortable rooms overlooking the vineyards. Decor is contemporary, and each room is different. The breakfast is almost a full café colonial, served at the winery near the wine vats. The restaurants ($$$$), which are open to nonguests (reservations essentials), are a touch impersonal, but serve hearty Brazilian-Italian fare, such as cappelletti soup, roasted pork and chicken, and polenta. As unlikely as it may sound, there are no Valduga wines available by the glass.
