noplasticshowers

Staying in Rio?  Definitely get yourself a hotel in Santa Teresa.  After a few smashing days in Leblon, we were ready for some more authentic Brazil.  Santa Teresa fits the bill.

Chez Georges is owned by architects, and it has only seven rooms.  The location is outstanding, with excellent views over the city, a perfect line to sugar loaf, and access to Santa Teresa from the top. The design sensibility is world class (though the property itself could use some TLC and some closets).  The vibe is chill.  Unfortunately, the staff is a bit too chill (though incredibly friendly and nice) and could use a dollop or two of professionalism.

Seems that the Georges caters to a younger, less experienced demographic.  I mean, we can go with the flow, but at this stage of our lives we are spoiled rotten!  We even have our own band.

The top of Santa Teresa includes the drowned rat overlook.

We had two rooms at the Georges, the first a regular suite. There were no closets anywhere (which if you have, say, wedding dresses and kilts is not the best of circumstances).

Late lunch at Cafe do Alto was unique and just as fun as the karaoke was terrible.

Night view.

The shower in our first room was fantastic, with an unparalleled view.

Monkeys in the morning.

Fruit in the trees.

One of the great joys of the Georges is the breakfast spread. Fresh fruit. Great company. Hella views. You will likely have to use the espresso machine yourself to make a decent coffee.

A side trip to the MAC in Niterói was most excellent.

Dinner at Aprazivel was very nice and somewhat soggy as the clouds finally burst.  We took a cab the 600 meters home.

We switched to the George Harrison suite for the last two nights of our stay. Still no closets. The shower was nice, but not as nice as the first room. And good luck finding a flat iron, arranging a salon, or even finagling an ironing board from housekeeping. Slack slack staff.

We were in Rio for a wedding. The wedding itself was magical. Here we are all suited up and ready to go.

There were, of course, some wedding events, including:
guided tours
philosophy sessions
poetry
and some joyous dinners.

And then there was the big surprise!

Romey said she would like to be a McGraw.

We packed up on our last day and then headed to Sugarloaf for last licks in Rio.

Four showerheads and some mandatory hospitality training for the staff at Chez Georges. Such a beautiful place deserves to be best in class.