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The Best Boutique Hotels to Book in Ouro Preto, Brazil

Ouro Preto is a picturesque blend of colonial buildings and mountainous landscapes
Ouro Preto is a picturesque blend of colonial buildings and mountainous landscapes | © Dan From Indiana / Alamy Stock Photo

Ouro Preto is Brazil’s mountain jewel of a town, whose name translates to “black gold,” due to the mineral abundance and wealth of the colonial residents who founded it. And with a name like that, and the picturesque balance of colonial, terracotta-roofed buildings and their mountainous surroundings, you can expect to find some classy boutique hotels here. Among them are these top picks, all of which are available to book with Culture Trip.

Hotel Solar do Rosário

Boutique Hotel

dbe8b778 - Hotel Solar do Rosário
Courtesy of Hotel Solar do Rosário / Expedia

Ouro Preto’s historic charm is an inescapable feature of the city center. Similarly, the profusion of boutique hotels to be found around town occupies a part of that history. For example, Hotel Solar do Rosário is within a mansion dating back to 1840. Touches of elegance are laced throughout, such as the crystal chandeliers and winding staircases. The balcony around the second floor is decked out with colourful flowers, offering a taster of what to expect from the hotel’s garden spaces.

Pousada do Mondego

Boutique Hotel

8d67ab0d - Pousada do Mondego
Courtesy of Pousada do Mondego / Expedia

Overlooking the curio-filled handicraft fair of Ouro Preto is another luxury hotel in a delightful old building. This one was once the residence of a journalist named Theódulo Pereira, who converted it into the Pousada do Mondego hotel and passed it on to his children, who were born here and still run the place. The building’s original features, such as wooden floorboards, areas of bare brickwork and the labyrinthine layout, have been faithfully preserved.

Hotel Pousada do Arcanjo

Boutique Hotel

e3b83fa0 - Hotel Pousada do Arcanjo
Courtesy of Hotel Pousada do Arcanjo / Expedia

For a sense that you have stepped back in time, head to Hotel Pousada do Arcanjo, a boutique hotel where low, warm lighting prevails, occasionally in the form of an open fire or lit candle in wall sconces, much as they would have been before electricity. Rooms are simple and clean, and the only truly modern things about them are the comfortable mattresses and flatscreen TVs. Pousada do Arcanjo is in a quiet residential neighborhood, and the center can be reached by walking 0.6mi (1km) downhill along the cobbled streets.

Casa do Chá Ouro Preto

Boutique Hotel

274519026 - Casa do Chá Ouro Preto - booking.com
Courtesy of Casa do Chá Ouro Preto / Booking.com

Impressive views over the valley and simple down-home bedrooms make Casa do Chá Ouro Preto (meaning the Ouro Preto Tea House) a great budget boutique accommodation option. This is a small hotel with a cafe below it, where the five rooms have views of the quirky rock formations of the Pico do Itacolomi. The breakfasts of bread, cake, fresh fruit, juices and, of course, tea, are popular with guests.

Ville Real Hotel

Boutique Hotel

21534b2d - Ville Real Hotel
Courtesy of Ville Real Hotel / Expedia

If Ouro Preto sounds a little too tourist-friendly for your tastes, then other villages nearby in the region can offer the same climate, vistas and colonial architecture, minus the crowds. Ville Real Hotel is a sprawling complex in Santo Antônio do Leite, 20mi (32km) from Ouro Preto, with manicured gardens and an elaborate swimming pool fed by a small waterfall. Rooms are fresh and modern, while the hotel’s dining area and bar still exude traditional rustic charm.

Casinha Mirante

Boutique Hotel

183165276 - Casinha Mirante - booking.com
Courtesy of Casinha Mirante / Booking.com

Uphill from the historic center, with a commanding view over the old terracotta-roofed buildings and distant green mountains, is Casinha Mirante. This intimate boutique hostel was established by two friends, and the respectful and welcoming atmosphere they have fostered sets this spot apart. To make the most of Casinha Mirante’s advanced elevation, be sure to book a “city view” room. Guests can use the kitchen space to prepare their own food here, if desired.

Hotel Solar das Lajes

Boutique Hotel

256096122 - Hotel Solar das Lajes - booking.com
Courtesy of Hotel Solar das Lajes / Booking.com

Hotel Solar das Lajes, another boutique hotel making the most of Conselheiro Quintiliano street’s panoramic views, has one feature that most hotels do not: its very own gold mine. Guests are allowed to visit the mine, which reveals the building’s 17th-century heritage from the initial gold rush that first put Ouro Preto on the map. The best city views are from the wooden-decked common space around the modest pool.

Boroni Palace Hotel

Boutique Hotel

209719498 - Boroni Palace Hotel - booking.com
Courtesy of Boroni Palace Hotel / Booking.com

For a hotel option in a more modern building, check out Boroni Palace, which was designed specifically to accommodate travelers, including the large common spaces and ample parking area. The exterior has a quasi-alpine chalet feel with its window balconies and forested mountain backdrop, although the “palace” moniker might be a tad ambitious. Rooms are homey and simple, and include a cake and bread-centric buffet breakfast.

Hotel Luxor

Boutique Hotel

7e188bca - Hotel Luxor
Courtesy of Hotel Luxor / Expedia

Moments from the yellow-and-white facade of Nossa Senhora da Conceição church is one of Ouro Prieto’s more central boutique hotels. The Hotel Luxor was once a colonial mansion, and the common areas in particular still bear the hallmarks of this era, including wrought-iron handrails, thick wooden ceiling beams and arched windows. Meals are served in an intimate cellar space, with tastefully lit bare brick walls. Apartments have small balconies and antique furniture.

For more great places to stay that you can book through Culture Trip, see the best hotels in Brazil and the best resorts in Brazil now.

This is an updated rewrite of an article originally by Sarah Brown.

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