Les Jardins de Rio — Hotel in Região Geográfica Imediata do Rio de Janeiro

They say fortune favours the brave, or perhaps the foolhardy. We booked this place last minute (plus ca change...) while already out in Rio, for our last few days in Brazil. Fortune certainly favoured us. This is a gem of a place. ||Les Jardins is set in an astonishing modernist house worthy of a Bond film - all undulating curved white walls, mezzanine levels and beautiful hardwood floors. The furnishings are brightly coloured, and a little eccentric, but chic - all primitivist sculpture and de Lempicka-esque artwork. The rooms and the public spaces are all spacious and calm. The place is run by a quirky but lovely French couple who speak excellent English, as do most of their staff of friendly young Cariocas. They were able to provide plenty of advice on what to see and do. It has the feel of an upmarket guest house rather than a hotel. ||Due to our last minute online booking and an internet malfunction at their end, the owners didn't get our booking by the time we arrived. No problem - we were shown around the available rooms and given our pick. All of them were beautiful, and the one we preferred was not in fact the Presidential Suite with its swimming pool sized bathtub, but another suite with private terrace and a glass-fronted stone-clad bathroom you could feel on the edge of the jungle in. ||There is a roof terrace with spectacular views sweeping down the valley to Guanabara bay, and upwards beyond the adjacent rainforest to Cristo Redentor (although the January weather in Rio meant we only got one day of blue skies to see the full view during our stay here!). There is also an outdoor pool, although again owing to the weather we didn't use it. ||Breakfast is served on a covered terrace overlooking either the pool or the view down to the bay. We paid extra for the supplemental fruit, yoghurt etc which was not inexpensive but was worthwhile. The food was fresh and lovely, albeit choice limited as you would expect in a place this small. ||The only drawback of this place - and this is qualified - is the location. The hotel is in Cosme Velho - a district reasonably close to the main tourist areas but on the edge next to the urban rainforest and not served by the metro - and is on a steep hill about 10 minutes walk from the nearest bus stop. The area is mostly characterised by walled-off villas with no nearby restaurants or nightlife. To walk around at night would feel unsafe. This means a taxi ride in the evening is obligatory for a restaurant dinner or anything to do, but as the taxis are so affordable in Rio this really did not in fact pose much of a problem. ||I would certainly return here, and would strongly recommend pairing a few days here after a few days in one of the hotels on Copacabana or Ipanema for a stay in Rio. This allows the calmness of Les Jardins to recuperate after the frenzy of the carnival, and once you feel settled in this...

Les Jardins de Rio in an interesting, modified old mansion. The public areas are nicely decorated by the French owner, featuring a creative and lovely modern style and paintings by the owner. The rooms were adequate and comfortable. My room had the bathroom in the same space as the bedroom, separated by a waist-high concrete (or similar) wall with glass above that to the ceiling, leaving no visual privacy between the bedroom and the bathroom. I was alone so that was not a problem for me. Breakfast was super - fresh fruits, coffee (or tea), bread, etc. My only warning is as follows: the Les Jardins de Rio website states that they have a restaurant and has a lovely photo of cooked salmon and a glass of wine. Their website also states that they have a bar. They absolutely do not have either. I didn't know that there was no restaurant, so I didn't plan to go out to eat. When I found out that there was no restaurant (the owner told me that she does not want to go into the restaurant business; then why claim on your website that you have one?) I could not find any good, evening restaurants within walking distance. As a result, the owner volunteered to cook dinner for me: mistake. She shopped and provided a steak with potatoes and a dessert. The steak was extremely tough - difficult to even chew. IN SUMMARY, Les Jardins de Rio is very lovely, nicely decorated, and my room was comfortable, in spite of the lack of bathroom privacy. Breakfast was super, but dinner was not good and there may not be any good, evening restaurants nearby, requiring a cab ride to a...

My husband and I had the pleasure of staying at Les Jardins de Rio during our anniversary trip to Brazil, and it was, without a doubt, the best experience ever. We initially booked one night in the White Room but ended up extending our stay because we couldn't bear to leave this stunning place.||The location is ideal, within walking distance of a charming museum that offers a delightful brunch. The hotel itself is impeccably decorated and curated, making it feel like you're staying in a museum. The room was incredibly spacious, and the pictures we saw beforehand didn’t do it justice. Our room boasted four different patios, a massive walk-in closet, and the largest bathtub I've ever seen in a hotel room.||The property is beautiful, and we enjoyed being surrounded by the local wildlife, especially the monkeys. Watching the sunset from the rooftop was magical, with monkeys jumping from tree to tree, the iconic Christ the Redeemer on one side, and the beach on the other. It was truly a sight to behold.||The staff were exceptionally attentive and played a crucial role in making our stay memorable. They assisted us immensely in planning our daily activities, ensuring we made the most of our trip.||Les Jardins de Rio made our vacation unforgettable, and we can’t wait to return. If you're looking for a unique and luxurious experience in Rio, this hidden gem is the...