Rio Carnival is the biggest street party in the world, with hundreds of thousands of people flocking to Rio de Janeiro each year to celebrate the famous festival. The event is always celebrated the weekend before the beginning of Lent, meaning this year the festival will run from Friday 5th February until Wednesday 10th February.
Rio de Janeiro offers carnival-goers a large number of luxurious self catering apartments to stay in and enjoy the electric atmosphere. Luxury home rental property company Le Collectionist share six of their very best.
Appartement Thiago
Beds: 5, Sleeps: 10
On the legendary Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, just a few steps from the majestic Copacabana Palace, Apartment Thiago is an architectural gem of the 1930s. This sublime, 2-level penthouse is located on the top floor of a contemporary building that features large glass windows, perfect for enjoying the spectacular view over Sugarloaf Mountain, the Christ of Corcovado and the Atlantic Ocean.
Just like the city, which enjoys the sounds of crashing waves and the rhythm of the samba, Apartment Thiago offers a subtle balance between its enormous, 950 square metre volumes and its simple, elegant décor. The spirit of this unique place crystallises on the rooftop terrace, which offers various relaxation spaces alongside the marble-bordered swimming pool, which echoes the endless blue expanse of the Atlantic.
The first level is home to the main living areas with an elegant reception room arranged around a glass and dark wood table that seats up to 20 people. Another dining room offers a more contemporary design, perfect for intimate dinners where guests can decide where to spend a night out in Leblon or the colourful neighbourhood of Santa Theresa. The large living room, which opens up to the office and TV room, features a minimalist design with white Le Corbusier furniture and a spectacular view of Copacabana Beach.
A large corridor coloured with Andy Warhol pop art portraits provides entrance to the floor’s 4 suites, each equipped with private bathroom; 2 are fitted with twin beds and the other 2 with double beds. The master suite on the top floor is equipped with a black marble Jacuzzi and opens to the main terrace for enjoying those last rays of sunshine before the night’s starry cloth lights up over a sparkling Rio de Janeiro.
A perfect space for hosting guests on the rooftop terrace, Apartment Thiago is a peaceful haven where you can rest and rejuvenate before another adventure in the colourful urban jungle of Rio.
Appartement Copa
Beds: 5, Sleeps: 10
From the hills and the luxuriant nature emerges the mythical city of Rio de Janeiro, world widely famous for its way of living, its carnival and of course Copacabana beach. Uphill from this 4 kilometer golden camber of sea and sand was built the Villa Copa, animated with the full of life Carioca’s coastline.
Drenched in sun light, the patio seems to be flowing right down to the sparkling blue Atlantic Ocean. The Jacuzzi is the perfect spot to relax while admiring the marvels of Brazilian landscapes. At the horizon, the legendary Sugarloaf Mountain, granite peak that formerly warned navigators of their arrivals inside the Guanabara Bay. The Brazilian nature goes along the human constructions, forming a singular harmony. This harmony echoes inside the Villa Copa, oscillating between contemporary architecture and exotic nature.
Against the patio, the vast living area grants elegance and comfort. Ideal for quiet leisure such as enjoying a Cachaça-based cocktail, while sitting at a modern design bar, listening to Brazilian rhythms played on the grand piano. The general atmosphere is warmed by the nautically themedwooden furniture, paying a tribute to the Bay that was sought-after for its fertile soil.
Looking toward the beach or toward the hills, the five bedrooms/bathrooms combos are also Carioca-themed. Tastefully furnished, they are the perfect place to rest after a crazy Brazilian night, lulled by the welcoming arms of Christ the Redeemer.
Faithfull to its neighborhood and beach, natural and extravagant, the Villa Copa cleverly allies traditions to modernity, in the beating heart of Rio de Janeiro.
Villa Abella
Beds: 3, Sleeps: 6
In 1962, it was an immediate and worldwide hit. Since this year, the planet dances to the syncopated rhythm of a Bossa nova. A couple of years, that’s all it needed, and the Girl from Ipanema became a standard. Many jazz men propose a version of the song that João Gilberto wrote about the same named beach. A beach where musicians perform nearly every night and where one can stroll along and admire flaming sunsets over the Twin Mountains. One can also savor a delicious Açai ice-cream or enjoy a relaxed afternoon between the ocean and Rio de Janeiro.
When the sun slowly sets and the city lights go on one after the other, thousands of lights illuminate the streets and run up to the top of the buildings. They are reflected by the sea near the beach but they vanish when advancing further onto the deep black surface of the ocean. A few stars sparkle in the sky and one experiments a pure moment of grace standing at the foot of the penthouse by the roof pool on the huge terrace with its view over the beach of Ipanema.
A symphony of electric light rises between the sea and the mountains that surround the city. An enchantment one leaves after a moment of intense contemplation by going down the stairs into the apartment. Here, the brick walls and the concrete floor echo the style of New York lofts. An artist’s nest where the modern art has been carefully selected in order to be in harmony with the spectacular view over the ocean allowed by the large floor to ceiling windows.
These vertiginous perspectives, combining nature and urban world, are also to be contemplated from the bedrooms. On one side the ocean and on the other the mountains. Both of these marvelous sights are available to be enjoyed through the windows of these suites and their private bathrooms.
Being on the roof of Rio, it is maybe the perfect moment to discover the music of an artist who lived in the city, and about whom Caetano Velos said that “he is the essential key to understand Brazilian music”.
Villa Brenda
Beds: 5, Sleeps: 10
1940, Brazil. A talented architect, Alberto Monteiro de Carvalho, works on a personal project. A villa whose purpose is to welcome at all-time his many friends and the members of his family. A villa influenced by all the different types of architecture he was interested in. Those who called him Dr Alberto were reminded of a French colleague, Le Corbusier, his ideas about the modernist movement were a great inspiration for Monteiro de Carvalho. When he was sure about what he wanted, he started the construction.
What he would call Le Pavillon would be built on the Santa Teresa hill in one of the most beautiful area of the fascinating Brazilian city, Rio de Janeiro. A city where the most famous carnival animates the streets, squares and marvelous beaches; a territory set between a tropical forest of considerable size, mountains with dazzling heights and the sunny coast of the Atlantic. Extraordinary landscapes dominated by the statue of Christ the Redeemer standing on the top of the Corcovado, landscapes that surround the villa whose construction was ended many years ago.
An elegant mansion, set in the middle of luxuriant gardens, nearby a pool, a tennis court and preceded by a large terrace. A space that offers the possibility to have dinner outside, just in front of the many floor to ceiling windows that allow fascinating views onto the surroundings. Urban perspectives hidden in enchanting landscapes, one can see from the three living rooms and the dining room; superb rooms with wood floors, white beams and sophisticated furniture with classical lines.
It seems as if the generous nature got invited into the house. Plants are adorning the bedrooms, a fresh and delightful presence in the huge suites with bathrooms and decorated with black and white photography.
In another time, the suites used to welcome the friends and family of the author of this architectural creation. This has been the work of a lifetime. A building that casts light on the way his art headed towards modernity.
Villa Nino
Beds: 4, Sleeps: 8
An old colonial-style mansion, Villa Nino is located in Santa Teresa, an arty, offbeat district in Rio nicknamed “the little Montmartre”. Turning luxury accommodation into an artistic happening, this unconventional residence is found on the heights of Santa Teresa, the bohemian and culturally rich neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro. At the heart of a tropical garden overlooking Guanabara Bay, Villa Nino offers an unbeatable view of the mythical Sugarloaf Mountain.
This Baroque palace, found in a former mansion at the heart of a tropical garden, celebrates a bold marriage of styles. In the bright 180m2 parlour, Art Deco and Sixties furniture cohabit harmoniously with contemporary artworks. This room opens onto a vast terrace from which we can discover a spectacular panorama over the bay of Rio. The swimming pool, a turquoise rectangle lined with tiles featuring geometric motifs, is protected from prying looks by a vegetal wall.
On the walls, impressive contemporary paintings, specially created by Bosnian artist-painter Radmila Djapic Jovandic, are the guiding thread of this villa where metamorphosis is also a constant, prompted by Nino’s encounters and impulses. An outside wall given over to the inspiration of graffiti artists, an installation exhibition in the elegant main living room, the radical colour change of a hallway or terrace…
The villa offers four studios whose aesthetics defy classification, the fruit of the unbridled imagination of the host, the parrot Nino da Costa. A pillar with bright green plant motifs shoots up right in the middle of the white “Pool Suite” that leads to the swimming pool. Art Deco, colonial and Sixties recollections punctuate the three other suites offering panoramic views of Guanabara Bay and Sugarloaf Mountain. The old and the modern clash and ignite sparks of colour – just take these old armchairs, picked up in an antique store and refurbished with precious Italian fabrics. All suites come with a dressing room, a private bathroom, and a spacious terrace open to a gentle rumble from the city.
All these mutations make Villa Nino a lively and shifting place, conducive to cultural exchanges. All under the attentive eye of a privileged witness: Nino da Costa, the colourful resident parrot.
Villa Dafiny
Beds: 4, Sleeps: 8
Near the most famous beach, a samba school puts the last hand to the organization of a musical program it had prepared during the winter. The costume designers adjust the extravagant and colorful dresses the Baianas will wear during the parade. All Ipanema and Copacabana have been fully decorated. This year, the cobblestoned streets of Santa Teresa and the old colonial fortresses, guarding the entrance of Guanabara will be covered with string lights. Under the benevolent eye of Christ the Redeemer, standing at the top of the Corcovado, Rio is preparing for carnival.
In a few days, one will perceive in a haven of peace provided by the luxuriant vegetation growing on the shore of the ocean, the faraway echo of the rousing rhythm of the batucadas. But for now, tranquility reigns over the villa Dafiny. From the wood terrace and the slate pool deck, one can only hear the sound of the waves crashing on the sand of Conrado, and from time to time the shout of a bird carried by an ascendant current and flying toward the mountains.
Palm trees and flowers flourish under the brightness of the generous sunrays a few paces away from the living-room whose large windows open onto the idyllic outside. Other tropical plants are displayed near a collection of tribal art in a luminous space. Here, a grand piano waits impatiently to enchant the scene and to merge subtle modern harmonies with the sophisticated and bold lines of the design furniture.
The suites display an encounter between different forms of art, illustrating an ancient practice in the country of syncretism. On the white or wood walls of the bedrooms black and white photography responds to the colorful art of local artist. Every bedroom has its own private bathroom and direct access to the terrace.
The art displayed under the roof of this elegant mansion is a tribute to the creative forces of a land where culture has always been shared. Soon, it will enchant the streets of the city with the forceful support of rhythm, color and form.
Luxury travel company Le Collectionist is a refined and authentic experience that embodies the ‘home away from home’ concept where guests can enjoy the benefits of a private rented property but with the luxury and little touches of a hotel with a private butler, nanny, housekeeping, a chef and 24 hrs Concierge on hand to help you with anything you may need. Guests can choose from a huge portfolio of stunning properties, chalets or even private islands, with over 1200 properties in over 130 countries
