Hotel das Cataratas, A Belmond Hotel, Iguassu Falls

Hotel das Cataratas sits inside Brazil’s Iguassu National Park directly beside the falls, giving guests an extraordinary sense of place that no conventional city or resort location could reproduce.

The pink Portuguese-colonial building uses polished hardwood, traditional azulejo tile and bright tropical colors throughout its rooms and suites, with the strongest categories looking directly toward the cataracts and surrounding forest.

Falls-view rooms make the scenery central to the stay, while the 83-square-metre Cataratas Suite adds a separate living room, dining space, Juliet balconies and views across both rainforest and waterfalls.

Cataratas Spa draws on Guarani ideas of connection with nature and includes four treatment rooms, a couples suite, sauna and steam facilities. The outdoor pool and garden spaces provide a calmer counterpoint to days spent walking the park’s trails.

Hotel das Cataratas is best for travelers who want Iguassu Falls to define every hour of the trip, especially nature-focused guests for whom staying inside the national park is itself the luxury.