Pestana Convento do Carmo

Originally built in 1586 by the First Order of Carmelite Friars, the Convento do Carmo is the first hotel within Brazil to be installed within a historical building and follows the high standards of the Portuguese-owned Pestana group.

Set around two cloisters, the main common areas for the hotel are gathered around the larger of these. They include the hotel’s sophisticated restaurant, serving Portuguese cuisine with distinctly Bahian influences, cocktail bar and reception area and bar, which all look out onto the oval swimming pool and garden.

Long corridors with high ceilings then lead off to spacious guest rooms, which have been restored in keeping with the style of the original building. Rooms feature heavy wooden doors, thick stone walls and small windows, ensuring real privacy and comfort. These original features are combined with modern comforts including walk-in showers, plasma TVs and Egyptian cotton bed linen.

The only downside of this hotel from our point of view, is that it is located in a more residential district, further away from the centre of Pelourinho and local bars and restaurants, meaning you're unlikely to get as full an experience of Salvador when staying here.