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Most of the Rio de Janeiro hotels are located in Copacabana to take advantage of the lovely beaches and vibrant nightlife. Note that December to February is holiday season and accommodations cost about 30 percent more. This is especially true for Carnaval when prices triple. A week after Carneval, prices drop to low-season rates.

A lock box or safe can be quite a valuable addition to your hotel room. If your room does not have one, ask the concierge or owner if there is one at the front desk.

For a guide to different hotels and accommodations, check out rio.de.janeiro.hotelguide.net.

Expensive

Palace Hotel and Hotel Fasano
This fresh new hotel is situated at the heart of Ipanema Beach. The rooftop has spectacular views over Ipanema Beach featuring a pool, a fitness center, sauna, massage and coffee shop for drinks and light meals. Elegant and understated, the lobby lounge, Londra, has live music and the restaurant, Fasano Al Mare, is dedicated to traditional Italian seafood.

Copacabana Palace
This classic 1923 palace hotel sits majestically on the beach, but still close to Rio's nightlife. This 5 star hotel has two restaurants; The Pergula and the Cipriani restaurant. Amenities include air conditioning, free daily newspaper, refrigerator, telephone, television with Cable, Non-Smoking Rooms, DVD, Daily Maid Service, and internet access.

The Windsor Excelsior Hotel
Located in the very best area of Copacabana, this hotel faces the ocean. Access to any place in Rio is fast and easy: just 10 minutes to downtown or to the domestic airport; and 20 minutes to the international airport. This is an elegant destination in which to enjoy all of Rio.

Mid-Range

Hotel Praia Ipanema - Between Ipanema and Leblon, this hotel offers beachfront accommodation. All 105 units offer balconies and ocean views. The best rooms begin at the 10th floor and carry upward, as the views of sand and sea get ever more spectacular. Three-day weekend specials (Fri-Sun) often include drinks, lunch or dinner, and a late checkout for the same price as two regular nights.

Arpoador Inn - the only budget-priced oceanfront hotel in Ipanema, the Arpoador Inn sits on a quiet stretch of beach popular with the surf crowd Just around the corner from Copacabana, the beach is closed to cars and quiet. While most of the rooms are very nice, the standard rooms are a bit smaller, darker, and look into an interior wall.

Luxor Continental Hotel - Located in a quiet residential neighborhood just off Copacabana, the hotel offers high-speed wireless Internet, a large fitness room, and rooftop pool. To make the most of the view, reserve a room on the 16th floor or higher that faces the ocean. Nonsmokers will be happy to know that the entire hotel is nonsmoking.

Bed & Breakfast

Cama e Cafe - This is actually an informal network of bed-and-breakfasts was created in 2003 when a group of residents wanted to give visitors the chance to experience one of Santa Teresa's main attractions, the Beaux-Arts mansions. There are about 40 hosts, mostly artists, who moved into their old houses in the 1970s. The guest rooms range from sparsely furnished single rooms to fully restored master suites with private balconies and marble bathrooms. Prices range from R95-195 for doubles with breakfast).

To find other Bed & Breakfast accommodations, search with www.bedandbreakfast.com/rio-de-janeiro-brazil.

Phone: 55-21-2224-5689