Wylde World: Casa Mosquito, Rio
by Aly Hazlewood
Rio de Janeiro is on everyone’s lips this year. Host to the 2014 World Cup and the next Olympics, the global media is watching in earnest as the city cleans up its act in preparation for the sporting calendar’s most widely-viewed events.
Rio is the 2nd largest city in Brazil, with a heralded reputation as one of the world’s foremost party capitals. Even as the streamers and sparkle of Rio’s carnival are swept from the streets, its inhabitants and visitors waste no time in heading for the golden beaches and blue lagoons of Copacabana by day, parading toffee-hued tans in tiny, ubiquitous G-strings, before embarking on marathon, sweaty samba sessions in the bars and nightclubs of Ipanema. Make no mistake, the rhythm is gonna get ya.
Nestled on its hillside perch in the heights of Ipanema, liesCasa Mosquito, Rio’s first beachside boutique hotel. Dreamed up by two Frenchmen, Benjamin Cano and Louis Planès whose love affair with Rio was built to last, Casa Mosquito offers mind-blowing vistas of legendary beaches and picturesque favelas for a ‘real’ taste of Rio.
Here though, authentic does not translate as ‘gritty’. The stunning vintage design and décor comes courtesy of the uber-talented Jean-Luc Boucharenc & Rodrigo Cardoso of House in Rio. Every effort has been made to combine good design, luxury and a personalized service with equitable tourism and a taste of a more authentic Rio. You can expect all the special touches of a luxury hotel stay, in-room spa treatments, free wifi, concierge service and airport transfers.
The four Sugarloaf Deluxe suites, each with it’s own private terrace with gorgeous views of Copacabana and Ipanema, are housed in a restored colonial mansion. In May 2014, five new Carioca Terrace suites will open in the hotel’s cutting-edge annexe. This will also see the unveiling of a new rooftop pool and bar, the perfect spot to watch fiery sunsets.
For such a small hotel, the culinary offering has not been treated as an afterthought. The hotel’s Chef prides himself on authenticity, using the best local produce with a Mediterranean influence to produce menus that change daily according to what is most fresh. Guests can even accompany the chef to local markets to soak up the bustling energy and taste local delicacies.
If you’re heading to Rio this year, Casa Mosquito is a haven of tranquility in South America’s most vibrant city.