The Best Boutique Hotels to Book in Ouro Preto, Brazil

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

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.

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.