When my partner said we were staying at the Belmond Hotel in Iguazu Falls, I thought it was a great idea. Not only is the Belmond Hotel Das Cataratas inside the national park, but they seem to be the only hotel inside or around for a couple of miles.
But then he told me its $400 per night (and up.) I’m not sure why anyone would pay this amount of money for any hotel. It better be super freaking fantastic. It turns out it really is super fantastic.
Getting to Belmond Hotel in Iguazu Falls
Included with your stay at Belmond Hotel Das Cataratas is a car service pick up from the airport. This is pretty awesome because the hotel is actually in the middle of the Iguazu Falls national park. The way back is not included, but you can pay for it if you want.
If you want to get to the Belmond Hotel on your own, you need to take public transportation or a taxi from the airport to the national park.
The park doesn’t allow public transit or taxis inside. Only private Belmond Hotel drivers and Iguazu Falls shuttles are permitted.
In other words, you would need to get out of your ride to either wait for a shuttle or walk the remaining miles to the falls.
It’s all doable, and the national park is gorgeous. It might just depend on whether you have all that energy when you arrive.
Regardless the driver was pleasant. He pointed things out and talked about them as we drove. It was like a drive-by tour guide of the city. I enjoyed this ride very much.
Upon Arriving at Belmond Hotel Das Cataratas
The hotel itself looks like a European colonial plantation of some sort. It’s painted in beautiful pinks.
We exit the vehicle, and the bellhop takes our bags as we check-in.
The concierge is a young Brazilian guy, knowledgeable in many things. He is fluent in Spanish, English, and French (and Portuguese.) But, he is also very personable and charismatic.
He handed us chocolate truffles, and we proceed to check-in. The entire check-in process felt like we are just chatting with a long-lost friend. It was amazing.
The Belmond Hotel and its amenities
Afterward, the concierge takes us to our room, but he also gives us a walking tour of the Belmond Hotel.
The property is massive. He shows us the swimming pool which is surrounded by chaise lounges.
The pool is great to swim in. I swam and worked on my tan. We ordered caipirinhas and even snacked as we lounged.
There’s a bar and a restaurant at the end of the pool.
Breakfast is included in your stay, and this is where it’s located.
Breakfast consists of four different buffet tables with many types of food.
You have a pastry buffet. There’s a vegetarian buffet. You can eat Brazilian style food or regular eggs and ham type of things.
There are different types of cheeses, pancake stations, stir-fry options. You name it.
I tried sampling it all, but there is so much food, even throughout my stay, I didn’t get a chance to eat it all. What I can say is that everything is delicious.
The Gym and Misc
The concierge shows us the garden by the pool with a row of hammocks. It’s so cute. It’s set up for anyone to relax, tan, read a book, and enjoy their day.
He takes us to the gym, which is nice. It has all the necessary machines you need. There are free weights and yoga mats and even a coffee station.
As we continue the tour, we walk by several souvenir shops. We walk past a bar-restaurant.
Our hotel package also included one meal at a bar or restaurant of choice. Aside from the restaurant where you have breakfast, you have Itaipu. But we didn’t get a chance to try it.
We eventually tried the bar, which I loved. The wood finish is dark and elegant. It’s classic but chic. I also decided to try their tacos and soup at one point. Everything was tasty and worth a try.
The Belmond Hotel has a library and another restaurant in case you want to sample everything this hotel has to offer.
To put it simply, the Belmond Hotel das Cataratas is gorgeous.
The Belmond Hotel Room
We reached our room, and the bags are waiting for us with the bellhop. We open the room, and although at $400 USD per night, I thought the room would be bigger. But I’m not disappointed. It’s a beautiful colonial-style room.
There’s a king-size bed. The flat-screen TV is mounted inside a custom frame on the wall.
The wardrobe is made of dark wood with a banquette built in between.
The bellhop points out that as a gift, they are giving us a pair of Havainas (Brazilian sandals) to take with us as a souvenir.
The restroom is cute. The walls and floor have classic Portuguese tiles.
The soaps and shampoos are luxury items with materials made from the amazon. They’re also eco-friendly, which is a plus.
At the end of each day, you get turn-down service, which is basically a second cleaning. The maid comes in, preps the bed for sleeping, and provides us with a midnight snack, usually in the form of chocolates. I love the turn-down service.
The Belmond Hotel Das Cataratas is impressive. It made me realize you really do get what you pay for.
To top it off, the Belmond Hotel is located directly in front of the waterfalls. Included with your stay is a free waterfall tour with a private tour guide. If you haven’t read my review of the Iguazu waterfall tour, make sure to check it out. It’s the cherry on top of this cherry of a hotel. The Belmond is spectacular.
Let me break it down for you:
The Belmond Hotel Das Cataratas is inside the Iguazu Falls National Park. You can see the falls from the hotel.
Rooms start at $400 USD per night.
Pros:
- Breakfast included
- Free walking tour of the falls
- Free pick up from the airport included
- Depending on your package, you may get a free drink or meal voucher for one of their bars or restaurants.
- The pool is spectacular, but it’s not a lap pool. Nevertheless, you can still swim laps if you’re into it.
- Powerful AC’s in every room
- Eco-friendly soaps
- Gym
- Shops
- Family-friendly
Cons:
- Breakfast ends at 11 am, but most of the time, they closed at 10:30 am.
- Family-friendly
- Some bugs around the park but not as many mosquitos as I though
- VERY pricey
Interested in booking, make sure to book on booking.com!