Brasilia Palace

Spend the night at a true design classic in this most unique of South American capital cities. We love its retro appeal.

One of the Brasilia’s original hotels (opened in 1958) it’s immediately apparent that the Brasilia Palace was designed by Oscar Niemeyer. This landmark structure resembles a residential building typical of the city’s signature superblocks.

Destroyed by fire in 1976, it was restored and reopened 30 years later and a stay here offers full immersion in the heritage of the city. It’s sure to delight lovers of anything retro. A highlight is its 26m-long tiled wall by the artist Athos Bulcão whose tiling is symbolic of Brasilia’s architecture – especially attractively lit after dark. The hotel is close to the shore of Lake Paranoá and not far from the Presidential Palace, with extensive lawns, an inviting oval-shaped outdoor pool and an Italian-theme Oscar restaurant with al-fresco dining possibilities.

In any other city, the interiors of the guest rooms would seem trapped in a time-warp – but here in modernist Brasilia you would not expect anything else, and they are generally well kept, each with air-con and a balcony. As is typical of sprawling Brasilia, you’ll need to take a taxi if you wish to explore independently or eat elsewhere.