Aquabarra Boutique Hotel & Spa

The Aquabarra Boutique Hotel offers a one-of-a-kind design style that manages to seamlessly mix Asian-inspired furniture, Oriental statues, Indonesian and African primitive masks, beautiful country-style carpets, textiles from Morocco and India, and eye-catching paintings from Argentina and Costa Rica. The spacious lounge, and adjacent rooms, are filled with antiques, memorabilia, and colorful decor that have been brought to Búzios by the globetrotter owners.The lounge offers an Honesty Bar and the next room has a wine corner with an excellent selection of primarily South American wines. The Caetano restaurant features colorful African masks, silver candleholders, displayed fresh fruit, and tropical flowers. Outside, the garden is reminiscent of Bali with beautiful landscaping. The pool area has a large Buddha head statue and chic sun loungers for a sophisticated, zen vibe. Kiddos are welcome here, there's a kids' menu at the restaurant, but the majority of guests are couples. 

The Aquabarra Boutique Hotel & Spa is located in a quiet and green residential area about a five-minute walk from the famous Geribá Beach, well-known for good surf and surfing schools. The distance to downtown Búzios is about 10 minutes by car. The hotel is located off the main road -- with no public transportation passing by the hotel -- so many guests arrive with private cars. The immediate neighborhood does not offer much for dining or shopping options. Downtown Búzios, however, features several decent seafood restaurants, ethnic restaurants, and fast food outlets. Rua das Pedras -- the heart of the town -- has several bars and cafes. It also offers tourist shops and boutiques selling locally made bikinis and beach wear. The town also offers banks, ATMs, pharmacies, car rentals, and tour agencies. The city of Cabo Frio -- a 30-minute drive away -- offers shopping centers and some good beaches. Arraial do Cabo has an excellent tropical beach scene with white sand and turquoise water known for diving and snorkeling sites. 

The Aquabarra Boutique Hotel & Spa offers 15 different suites divided into four categories. The Deluxe VIP Suite has an outdoor whirlpool, while others have distant sea views. Decor is more toned than the public areas, but still looks stylish and bohemian with antique furniture, oriental carpets, original artwork, and beautiful textiles from Indonesia and India. Each room comes standard with air-conditioning, a stocked minibar, flat-screen TV, DVD player, and iPod docking station. Bathrooms vary in size and shape; some have maintenance issues like rusty showerheads or floor damage. All come with hotel-brand toiletries and hairdryers. Furnished balconies or patios are nice touches, and allow ample natural light into the Suites. Unfortunately, the free Wi-Fi signal from the lobby only reaches some of the rooms. 

Caetano restaurant serves Brazilian buffet breakfast -- included in the room rate -- and a la carte meals for lunch and dinner. The menu is international, with some Brazilian delicacies. The lounge offers an Honesty Bar and adjacent wine corner. Room service is available from midday until late evening. The courtyard offers romantic, canopied beds in a Balinese style garden. The spa has a steam room and offers massage (Swedish, Chinese, deep tissue, hot stone) and foot and skin treatments. The pool area is inviting with a deck, large relaxing area decorated with white sofas, and Asian-inspired artwork. The hotel offers a cinema room and access to Netflix and a DVD-library.The front desk staff carries out concierge functions. They sell tickets to city and boat tours that take guests island hopping, snorkeling, and swimming. Staff can assist with car rentals and airport transfers.The hotel offers free parking for Deluxe Suite guests and Wi-Fi is provided for free in public areas (some suites get a signal as well). Beach-goers are provided with free towels and arrangements have been made at the Geribá Beach for free chairs and umbrellas.