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Few cities in the world do it quite like Rio de Janeiro. From the golden sands of Copacabana and Ipanema to Sugarloaf Mountain rising above the coastline, this is a city where beaches, mountains and neighbourhoods all seem to compete for your attention at once. Throw in Christ the Redeemer watching over it all, and you quickly understand why Rio has remained one of the world’s great travel destinations.

But Rio isn’t just about ticking famous landmarks off the list. Mornings can start barefoot on the beach, afternoons can disappear exploring the city, and by the time the sun goes down, there’s usually somewhere worth eating, drinking or staying out a little later than planned. Whether you’re coming for Carnival, escaping to the beach or simply looking for a few days of that laid-back Carioca lifestyle, where you stay can completely change the experience.

Thankfully, Rio has no shortage of places worth checking into. From grand beachfront icons overlooking Copacabana to design-led stays in Ipanema and quieter hideaways tucked into the hills, we’ve picked seven of the best hotels in Rio de Janeiro for your next trip.

• Best Overall Luxury Stay: Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel
• Best Beachfront Location: Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana
• Best City-Center Stay: Radisson Rio de Janeiro Barra
• Best Relaxed Beach: Windsor Marapendi Hotel

Sitting between Barra da Tijuca Beach and the peaceful Marapendi Lagoon, the Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro offers a slightly different side of the city from the busy streets of Copacabana and Ipanema. Set in the more relaxed Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood, it feels like a proper beachfront resort, giving you more space to slow things down while still keeping plenty of Rio within reach.

Inside, 436 rooms and suites designed by Yabu Pushelberg feature floor-to-ceiling windows, large private balconies, and views stretching towards either the Atlantic Ocean or Marapendi Lagoon. Rooms start at a generous 41 square metres and come with plush beds, spacious bathrooms with separate soaking tubs and showers, while those looking to go all out can step up to the 195-square-metre Penthouse Suite, complete with a huge terrace, living and dining areas and its own private pool.

There’s plenty happening outside the room, too. The hotel has direct access to Barra da Tijuca Beach, an outdoor pool, a 24-hour fitness centre and the Atiaia Spa with nine treatment suites, while dining ranges from Japanese cuisine and omakase at Shiso to relaxed Brazilian flavours and Saturday feijoada at Cantô Gastrô & Lounge. If your idea of Rio involves spending a little more time between the beach, pool and spa without the constant rush of the city centre, the Grand Hyatt makes a pretty convincing case for staying put.

If you’d rather stay closer to the action, Grand Mercure Rio de Janeiro Copacabana puts you just 100 metres from one of the most famous beaches in the world. The recently renovated hotel leans into Brazilian design throughout, with comfortable rooms ranging from Superior and Deluxe options to larger suites and sea-view rooms, while Copacabana’s promenade, nightlife and restaurants are all within easy reach.

Upstairs, you’ll find a heated rooftop pool overlooking Copacabana, alongside a gym, sauna and complimentary beach service with chairs, umbrellas and towels waiting when it’s time to hit the sand. Caza Alimo handles breakfast and Brazilian flavours throughout the day, while Vizta Rooftop Bar is the spot for drinks with a view — making the Grand Mercure a great choice if you want Rio’s beach life right outside without giving up the comforts of a five-star stay.

If you’re looking for something a little more polished and low-key, the Hilton Barra Rio de Janeiro hits the mark. Tucked away in Barra da Tijuca’s business district, just steps from Shopping Metropolitano and around two kilometres from the Olympic Park, it gives you a quieter base away from Rio’s busiest tourist areas while still keeping plenty within easy reach.

The hotel has 298 rooms and suites, all with a clean, contemporary design that feels calm and uncluttered after a busy day outside. Large windows bring plenty of natural light into the rooms, with views looking towards the city or Jacarepaguá Lagoon, while Executive Rooms and selected suites add access to the Executive Lounge for a little extra comfort during your stay.

Then there’s the rooftop, which might be the best reason to stay here. The infinity pool comes with panoramic views across Barra, while AtRio Rooftop & Lounge gives you somewhere to grab a cocktail and watch the sun go down over the lagoon. Downstairs, there’s also a fitness centre and Abelardo Restaurant & Bar, where local ingredients give the menu a distinctly Brazilian touch.

Barra Beach is around a 10-minute drive away, so you can still squeeze in plenty of time on the sand without staying directly on the beachfront. If you want a more relaxed side of Rio with modern rooms, a great rooftop and enough distance from the crowds to properly switch off at the end of the day, the Hilton Barra is a very easy place to settle into.

If you want the classic Rio experience with a serious dose of five-star luxury, Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana is hard to overlook. Sitting right on Avenida Atlântica at the southern end of Copacabana Beach, the hotel puts you close to Copacabana Fort and within easy reach of Ipanema, while its design takes inspiration from the glamour of Rio in the 1950s. It’s polished without losing that unmistakable sense of place, which is exactly what you want when Copacabana is sitting right outside.

The hotel has 375 rooms and suites, many with balconies and views across the city or ocean, with interiors that mix mid-century influence with a more contemporary finish. If you really want to dial things up, Fairmont Gold adds a hotel-within-a-hotel experience with its own lounge, dedicated concierge, breakfast, afternoon canapés and 24-hour butler service. But whichever room you choose, the real showstopper is outside, where the infinity pool looks straight across Copacabana Beach towards Sugarloaf Mountain.

There’s a second, more relaxed pool for the afternoon sun, alongside a 400-square-metre Fairmont Spa, fitness centre and plenty of ways to actually enjoy the beach, from stand-up paddleboarding and beach tennis to cycling and capoeira. Food is well covered too, with Brazilian grilled meats and seafood at Marine Restô, cocktails at Spirit Copa Bar and Mediterranean flavours at Tropìk — so whether you’re heading out to explore Rio or spending the afternoon doing absolutely nothing beside that infinity pool, the Fairmont makes both options equally tempting.

If waking up across the road from the beach sounds more like your kind of Rio, Windsor Marapendi puts you in a prime spot along Barra da Tijuca’s coastline. The hotel sits directly on Avenida Lúcio Costa overlooking Barra Beach, giving you the relaxed atmosphere of this side of the city while keeping restaurants, shopping, and plenty to do nearby.

There are 487 rooms spread across 12 categories, ranging from contemporary Standard and Superior rooms to larger family options and seriously spacious suites. If the view matters, the Luxury Rooms bring full or partial ocean views, while the Master Suite steps things up with a private balcony overlooking Barra Beach, a separate living area and a whirlpool bath.

The rooftop is where you’ll probably want to spend some downtime, with an outdoor pool overlooking the beach, alongside a sauna and fitness centre. Restaurante Marapendi offers everything from breakfast to dinner, with buffet and à la carte options — including a traditional feijoada on Saturdays — while the pool bar serves drinks with a view. The hotel also provides umbrellas and towels for guests heading across to Barra Beach, making this an easy pick if you want your Rio stay to revolve around plenty of sun, sand and a little less city chaos.

Radisson Rio de Janeiro Barra offers a modern and easy-going base in the upscale Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood, away from the heavier tourist crowds around Copacabana and Ipanema. Set just off Avenida das Américas, the hotel keeps Barra da Tijuca Beach, major shopping centres and plenty of restaurants within easy reach, making it a convenient option for mixing beach days with exploring this side of Rio.

The rooms follow the same straightforward approach, with bright, contemporary interiors designed more around comfort than over-the-top luxury. Air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, minibars and spacious layouts cover the essentials, with options ranging from rooms for solo travellers and couples to executive and family accommodation.

Things get a little more interesting upstairs, where the rooftop pool gives you somewhere to cool off and take in the views across Barra. There’s also a 24-hour fitness centre, while Origens restaurant serves contemporary cuisine alongside the hotel’s complimentary breakfast, and the lobby bar takes care of cocktails when you’re ready to call it a day.

The Radisson isn’t trying to compete with Rio’s grand beachfront hotels, and that’s part of its appeal. It’s comfortable, relaxed and well placed for discovering Barra, with a rooftop pool waiting when you get back — a solid choice for travellers who want the Rio experience without necessarily staying in the middle of its busiest neighbourhoods.

Some hotels give you a place to stay in Rio, while Copacabana Palace feels like part of the reason you came in the first place. Standing proudly across from Copacabana Beach since 1923, the white Art Deco landmark has spent more than a century welcoming everyone from Hollywood stars and musicians to royalty, while remaining one of Brazil’s most recognizable hotels.

Behind that famous façade are 140 rooms and suites, where the hotel’s old-school glamour is mixed with the comforts you’d expect from a modern five-star stay. Rooms start at 26 square metres, while the suites become considerably more extravagant, with the top Penthouse Suites adding private terraces overlooking Copacabana and access to an exclusive rooftop pool.

Food is another big part of the experience. Michelin-starred MEE brings pan-Asian cooking to the table, while Pérgula celebrates Brazilian flavours in a more relaxed setting; Ristorante Hotel Cipriani, the hotel’s Michelin-starred Italian restaurant, is currently closed for renovation. There’s also a private area for hotel guests on Copacabana Beach, rooftop tennis courts, a fitness centre and, once the current renovations are complete, the return of the hotel’s famous main pool and spa.

Yes, Rio has newer hotels, and plenty offer a more contemporary take on luxury, but few carry this much history with the room key. Copacabana Palace is one of those rare hotels where checking in feels like becoming part of the city itself — and for the final stop on our list, it’s difficult to think of a more fitting place to call home in Rio.

At Many Men Magazine, travel is a big part of what we love covering, and Elias Albay, Founder and Director of Many Men Magazine, put together this guide, drawing on his experience in commercial flight operations and his passion for discovering what makes a great stay. We researched each hotel carefully, focusing on what can genuinely shape your trip: location, comfort, design, amenities, service, and overall value. Rather than simply choosing seven expensive hotels with great views, we looked for stays that suit different ways of experiencing Rio, from beachfront icons in Copacabana to quieter escapes in Barra da Tijuca, so you can find the hotel that makes the most sense for your trip.