Hotel das Cataratas, A Belmond Hotel

Hotel das Cataratas is the only hotel inside Brazil's Iguaçu National Park, a pastel-pink building in the rainforest a short walk from the falls, a run of more than 275 cascades on the border with Argentina. Park rules allow only two hotels near the water, one on each side of the border, and staying here gives early and late access to the trails, before the gates open and after the day visitors leave at dusk. The interiors keep to a classic colonial style, with Portuguese-inspired hand-painted tiles, marble-topped vanities and hardwood furniture, and the grounds hold tropical gardens, tennis courts and a heated pool lined with palms. Restaurant Y serves creative Brazilian cooking and Ipê handles casual meals and barbecue, while the Y Bar looks out over the falls and lists more than 60 cachaças. The hotel arranges helicopter flights over the cascades, fast boat rides and guided walks, and the park entrance fee is covered. It runs its own water treatment plant and supports Onças do Iguaçu, the park's jaguar conservation project.