Hotel Hábita

A change of pace, but of a very different variety, is Hotel Hábita (Av. Presidente Masaryk 201, tel. 5282-3100, www.designhotels.com, $195 s, $225 d, $315 suites). A member of Small Luxury Hotels and Design Hotels, Hábita is done up in an ultramodern style, with lots of glass and sleek styling. Each of the 36 carpeted rooms is elegantly simple, with futons and a small terrace. Suites are only slightly larger than the regular rooms. Each room has direct Internet data ports, and the hotel has a business/conference center. On the roof is a glassed-in exercise room and open-air pool, as well as a popular hipster lounge bar called El Área. The restaurant downstairs is very good and often frequented by nonguests.