Convento do Carmo

Austere luxury? Ecclesiastical opulence? Well, not an unlikely combination in a Catholic church, nor in this, Brazil's first historical luxury hotel. Revel in five-stars' worth of excess in this 17th-century convent where pious monks spent their days engaged in holy pursuits until 2001.

The sight of a robed monk strolling the stark, warm hallways wouldn't be so strange, but a brother lounging on a striped couch under the crystal chandeliers of the open-air bar would be downright disturbing. It took five years to transform one of Salvador's oldest convents into its finest hotel and the result impresses. The hotel entrance is through a chapel complete with statue-laden altar. Original wooden benches and restored religious artwork grace the arched walkways and dining room walls. Rooms have the decor and amenities of any fine international hotel, many retaining their original thick, wooden doors. Street-facing walls, like those of the spa and Internet centre, can be up to a metre thick. The experience of sleeping in a 17th-century convent is a rare one, particularly one in which every need and comfort is catered to.