Luxury Travel in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is one of the truly great cities of the world.  It’s a gem like no other, with luscious green mountainsides dropping off into the deep blue of the Atlantic, only to be separated by what seems like endless beaches and a few blocks of shops, restaurants, hotels and apartments.

It wasn’t long ago that when travellers thought of Rio de Janeiro they thought of the sounds of bossa nova filling the night air, sipping on caipirinhas, Pele plying his trade at the Maracana, stretches of beaches with beautiful bodies and a dollar that could buy anything due to great exchange rates.  And while most of these images still hold true today, Rio has changed – dramatically and rapidly.  

We are witnessing an amazing change in Rio.  Rio de Janeiro is no longer just the mid-price, low quality Copacabana hotel room for a budget traveller with a strong dollar, but it has now become the new French Riviera, the new playground of the rich and elite.  VIP guests, heads of companies and royalty are flying in on private jets from Russia, Europe and the Middle East, spending tens of thousands of Euros, renting some of the most unbelievably luxurious properties.

Business leaders from Europe are setting up shop in Brazil, as its anticipated to be one of the world’s leading economies during the next 50 years.  It, along with China, India and Russia, are leading the way of the developing countries towards a successful global economy.  When business leaders visit – whether it’s for meetings, research, networking or merely vacationing, only the most elite luxury will do.  It’s become almost a challenge to the rich and elite of the world, to become more extravagant in their requests each time they visit Rio.  And each time they visit, their requests are not only met – but exceeded.

A big change that we are now seeing along with this luxury travel, is that more and more of these luxury travellers are choosing to rent beachfront penthouses and ocean side villas, rather than opting for the more traditional hotel chains.  There is a freedom that goes along with renting your own property – especially when it comes with full staff such as maid, driver and chef.   In this sense, you can truly make your vacation rental property your home away from home.  A luxury home in a tropical city with a vibe and energy that is unmatched by any other.  And these rental companies not only provide elite properties, but they also have top level concierge services that can match or out perform any major hotel.  This is because the ratio of staff to guest is much lower in a luxury accommodation rental company such as Rio Exclusive, so the concierge service is much more customized and personalized.

Luxury holiday rental is the new face of travel in Rio de Janeiro, and other leading cities of the world.  When you have champagne and caviar tastes, why settles for anything less when you don’t have to?

By Juliana Guzman