One of Brazil’s largest cities (and the biggest in the northeast region) is also home to one of South America’s most high-end hospitality names: Fasano (its Rio location is among its most famous). The Fasano brand has more than two dozen restaurants and nine hotels, including Fasano Salvador, with more in the pipeline for Europe and the United States.
Fasano Salvador sits in a historic building that was once home to the city’s newspaper publishing company and other local offices. Today, it has the finest rooms in Salvador, a stunning rooftop pool and a gastronomic restaurant that would fit well in New York or London. These are the top five reasons to book a stay at Fasano Salvador.
The rooms
With 70 rooms and suites, this hotel is a boutique operation with rooms featuring blue accents and carpeting, walls of historic photographs and coffee tables with design books and magazines. The look blends together an Art Deco look that respects the history of the hotel and building. But, it tacks on modern touches to appeal to today’s global traveler. These include modern power and USB outlets everywhere. The lights are easy to understand; and electric do not disturb signs are a nice touch.
The beds are incredibly soft with enormous pillows and a bolster pillow to support your neck. Power outlets are on either side of the bed, and the hotel also provides an international adapter for tourists. Superior rooms are the smallest and tucked towards the side of the building (although still spacious at 300 sq ft). Junior Suites and ocean-facing suites are among the most popular.
Suite 106 sits right below the FASANO sign on the front entrance. It was once the office of the newspaper’s president. It was refreshed and still features the original hardwood floors and architectural accents.
Bathrooms demonstrate the same attention to detail as the bedrooms and public areas. Wide vanities sport locally made toiletries in eco-friendly pump bottles. The towels are oversized and sumptuous. Extras on the shelves include robes, slippers and flip flops (this is Brazil, after all). Water pressure in the oversized, tiled showers is out of this world (a perfect jet lag antidote).
The pool
On the top floor, beautifully cushioned lounge chairs surround a long and glamorous swimming pool crafted from local granite. Walls of glass assure that the panoramic city views and the Bay of All Saints are visible from every vantage point. Just behind the pool, a bartender shakes and stirs tasty cocktails and mocktails to enjoy in the sun. If you have seen the pool at the Fasano in Rio, this pool rivals it for its size and position.
Behind another wall of glass is the hotel’s rooftop fitness center with modern equipment. Spa treatments are available from a menu of massage and beauty services in one of three treatment rooms. Each morning, sunrise yoga takes place on the roof terrace, and a sauna is available to guests throughout the day.
The restaurant
Once a cinema, this gorgeous space is divided into two areas and shows off a 1930s Art Deco style. One half is dedicated to the bar, which is in the center. It produces the best drinks in the neighborhood, which guests and locals enjoy, especially when the sun goes down.
Starched white linens and white-jacket servers rule over the gorgeous dining room and high-end menu of traditional Italian dishes. The penne alla diavola (spicy pasta with pepperoni) is spectacular, and the rack of lamb draws raves from repeat guests.
Local dishes on the menu include Brazilian fish stew (moqueca) using the daily catch and shrimp bobo (another stew). The banana straw-covered walls feature colorful art, statues and photographs from the people and places of Bahia. The wine list calls on the enormous inventory in the restaurant’s wine cellar.
The history
This was the first hotel development for Fasano in the northeast. The building was home to the A Tarde newspaper headquarters for 45 years. Rooms on the first and second floors were offices. One of the most iconic suites sits just over the front entrance and was the editor’s office. In the basement were the printing presses; higher floors had other local business people. Today, the lobby lounge is a see-and-be-seen place for short meetings over coffee or breakfast.
The Art Deco interiors show off this historic (and protected) building. Original wall and floor coverings were restored as was the Carrara marble, now topped with trendy furnishings in the lobby. Ask the staff for a tour of the building where you can discover a lot about the city’s history through the photographs and colorful art on the walls.
The location
Salvador is a hilly city with an upper-town area that is home to the colorful Old Town. This is a short ten-minute walk from the hotel’s front entrance. Another popular attraction is the nearby museum dedicated to the history of Carnival in Salvador. This is one of the most active and popular Carnival destinations outside of Rio de Janeiro.
The hotel is also a quick walk to the city’s famous Lacerda elevator that takes people down to the waterfront area where a bustling market is a popular attraction.
Just across from the front entrance is a panoramic overlook and a popular photo spot for both locals and tourists. But, there is no better way to survey the bay in front of the hotel and all of the surrounding (and colorful) skyline. You can hear the sound of the city’s famous percussionists playing. From here, you are a world away from the gritty, but charming Old Town (that is also a must-visit experience).
