Luxury in a Brazilian national park: the Hotel das Cataratas, in Foz do Iguaçu

Built in the 1950s, the pink palace of the Hotel das Cataratas stands out amidst the lush green of the Foz do Iguaçu National Park.

Granted to the Belmond group, the same as the luxurious Copacabana Palace Hotel, the undertaking had an investment of R$13 million (US$2.4 million) in construction that ends in 2023 and offers comfort and exclusive experiences located in one of the Seven Wonders of the World and considered a Natural World Heritage Site by Unesco.

With a privileged view of the falls and surrounded by tropical forests, the Hotel das Cataratas offers several exclusive experiences.

Handcrafted amenities and a small pillow embroidered with the guest’s name carefully arranged on the bed welcome you into the spacious accommodation with wooden floors and colonial furniture.

Room service is even careful with electronic cables, which are coiled and tied delicately with pink bow ties. At dusk, a bottle of water and a small piece of candy are placed on the bedside table, and the slipper is placed on the rug next to the bed.

At dawn and dusk, it is possible to see flocks of birds through the room’s window. Around the hotel, it is common to observe species such as toucans, guacho, and saíra-sete-cores.

These birds take their name from the drinks at Bar Tarobá, recently created by head barman Nacir Zandona (who has just completed 30 years at the hotel) and advised by mixologist Alex Mesquita, one of the great names in Brazilian cocktails.

The creations use Brazilian ingredients such as açaí, pitanga, tiquero (manioc brandy), and yerba mate and are carefully presented.

The Saíra-7-Cores drink (cachaça, pineapple and lime juice, basil, and honey syrup) is served in a glass with an exclusive bird shape, and the Guacho (açaí liquor, lime juice, and ginger syrup and foam), presented in a tricot base resembling the nest of this species.

The concern with using Brazilian ingredients is not exclusive to the authorial drinks.

The bar’s cachaça list, with 73 labels, is the largest in a hotel bar, explains Nacir, a cachaça scholar who conducts one of the most requested experiences in the hotel: the cachaça tasting harmonized with cheeses, jams, chocolates, and fruits, with prices starting at R$175.

The wines served at the Itaipu restaurant are also regional, six from Paraná, chosen by the sommelier Deivid Machado de Moraes and the food manager Fabio Pereira, who curated the wines and took into account the choice of wineries that are concerned about environmental preservation.

The hotel also offers a list of more than a dozen gastronomic experiences and excursions through the park. The highlight is the sunset picnic.

With a menu chosen by the guest up to four hours in advance, the scenario that can be observed sitting on the grass in front of the waterfalls is one of the hotel’s most requested experiences.

Since its arrival, the Belmond group has actively contributed to preserving and protecting the region’s native animals.

On November 29th, the international day of the jaguar is celebrated, and the hotel converts 100% of some items, such as the mascot Avati (a plush jaguar) available in the hotel’s boutique, as well as one of the hotel’s most popular drinks, the Onça Pintada (a caipirinha made of organic cachaça, tangerine, and passion fruit that resembles the jaguars’ spots), into preserving the species.

Also, in commemorating the date, the hotel will have thematic exhibitions and tours in its program, and the nice pink van (the icon that composes the hotel’s façade) will also be redesigned by artist Heloisa Hariadne, with a look inspired by nature and jaguars.

The hotel has 187 apartments and suites, and daily rates start at R$1,795 + taxes.

Hotel das Cataratas – Highway BR-469, Km 32, National Park, Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná state.

Phone: +55 (45) 2102-7000.

Website: https://www.belmond.com/hotels/south-america/brazil/iguassu-falls/belmond-hotel-das-cataratas/

With information from Exame