DPNY Beach Hotel realy revolutionized the concept of the luxury beach hotel in Brazil...
From the outside, the DPNY Beach Hotel, its low-lying structures painted in deep watermelon hues, does a nice job of blending into the surrounding tropical landscape of Praia do Curral, a beach on the southern end of Ilhabela that, lying 200km north of São Paulo, is one of wealthy Paulistanos’ favorite getaways. Step inside, however, and like Alice, you’ll have the impression of falling down a rabbit hole-albeit an extravagantly designed one. For starters, the reception is covered with thousands of tiny colorful azulejos (ceramic tiles) that, along with the 100,000 others that adorn much of the hotel, were handcrafted by the staff (there are over 100 employees).
The sensation of arriving in an alternate universe will continue as a concierge escorts you to your room, which will be quite unlike anything you’ve ever likely seen-but more about rooms later since you probably won’t be spending that much time in inside. After all, DPNY is a beach hotel. True to this guiding principle, the hotel’s public spaces, facilities, and activities are located in front of, or right upon, the beach-which is where Wonderland really kicks in. By law, there is no such thing as a private beach in Brazil, but DPNY comes pretty close: it has staked claim to a strip of sand at one end at Praia do Curral by setting up an intricate maze of beach chairs, parasols, four-poster beds, and teepees (for the privacy starved and sun-shy). All of the above come with white leather cushions or mattresses and enormous zebra-skin pillows upon which you can very easily fall asleep. Fluffy white towels are as easy to find as sand between your toes.
V.S.
