🇧🇷 Rio Accommodation Guide: Notes to My Future Self

Some cities grab you instantly—you know you’ll return. After a week of exploring, here’s my post-trip lodging cheat sheet for future Rio adventures: 🏨 First-Timer Pick: Copacabana Why? Vibrant, safe(ish), and walkable even at 10PM 🌃 Concentration of hotels (skip fancy ones—you won’t stay indoors!) Food, shops, and beachlife at your doorstep 🏖️ Skip next time: Copacabana Palace (overpriced) Santa Teresa’s M Gallery (inconvenient hill location 🚗💨) 🔮 Next-Time Contenders: 1. Fairmont (Between Copacabana & Ipanema) Perfect balance: Walk to Ipanema (locals + eye candy 👀) or Copacabana (tourist energy). Vibe upgrade: Less chaotic than Belmond’s zone. 2. Sheraton (Secluded Luxury) Cliffside infinity pool visible from helicopters 🚁✨ Oceanfront jogging path → leads to São Conrado (Brazil’s priciest beachfront mansions). West Rio access: Hiking in Gávea/Tijuca Forest, golf, hang gliding! 3. Barra da Tijuca (Unexpected Gem) Cleaner, quieter, packed with malls 🛍️ Helicopter ride revelation—now on my radar! 4. Downtown (For the Bold & Young-at-Heart) Locals scoff (“No one lives here!”), but: Steps from Lapa (nightlife 🎺) & Santa Teresa (artsy hillside 🎨). Daytime perks: Walkable to major sights, gritty-but-real city energy. Caveats: Noisy nights, sketchy areas—trade safety for soul. 🌿 Wildcard: Santa Teresa Charming AF with boutique shops and colonial vibes. But: Taxis up/down the hill get old fast. #RioRevisited #BrazilTravelHacks #WhereToStay #BeachOrJungle