Mr & Mrs Smith

Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa

Bahia, Brazil

The only boutique hotel in the historic main square of Trancoso, Bahia, Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa has become the stay of choice in this beautiful seaside village. The Brazilian elite, not to mention style-savvy visitors from the US and Europe, flock to its 10 private casas all year round, drawn by its stunning beachside location, dedication to sustainable tourism and the sort of interiors that wouldn't look out of place in Wallpaper* or Elle Decoration. Its owners have got the balance between luxury and laid-back style just right.

Need to know

• Rooms The hotel is comprised of 10 individual casas.
• Rates Double rooms from $446.57 (BRL989), excluding tax at 13 per cent.
  The price shown represents the lowest nightly rate for a double room available at this hotel over the next 21 days. Any price conversions from the hotel's local currency (BRL989) have been conducted using today's exchange rates from xe.com.
• More details Rates include a buffet breakfast. There's an additional service charge of 10 per cent.
• Facilities Spa, gym, library, DVD library, laundry service, in-room spa/beauty treatments. In rooms: flatscreen TV, CD/DVD player, iPod dock, king-size beds, free WiFi, dining table, air-conditioning, minibar, Natura toiletries.
• Poolside Shaped like a lake and surrounded by a huge wooden deck, the hotel pool, constructed from thousands of green aventurine quartz stones, is big enough to do laps. It is gloriously surrounded by tall trees, coconut palms and flowering plants.
• Check-out Midday, though this can be flexible depending on occupancy; earliest check-in, 9am (again, depending on occupancy).
• Children Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa is very much an adult's playground. However, children are allowed, and, for those under age five, the hotel provides cots at no extra cost and can arrange babysitting.
• Also Personal chefs are available on request, and will prepare a meal of whatever you desire to be served to you in your private casa. Ask when you check in.

Food and drink at Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa

• Hotel restaurant

  The hotel restaurants may not have been given names, but they're certainly not an afterthought. Chef Bernardo Silva serves up fresh, locally sourced Brazilian cuisine – moqueca of lobster and king prawns, escondidinho of dried shredded meat, onion, chives, creamed cassava and coconut milk – in the hotel lounge or beside the pool. The atmosphere is informal and laid-back.

• Dress code The more casual the better. Flip-flops and shorts are perfectly acceptable – indeed, closed-toe shoes are positively frowned upon.
• Top table Getting a good table is never a problem. However, in the evening, we recommend going for a table overlooking the beach, at which you can enjoy views of sand and sea, not to mention the two adjacent hammocks, while you eat.
• Last orders Dinner is served till around 10pm, and caipirinhas are served in the bar until the last guests shuffle off to bed.
• Room service Guests can order from a full menu between 7am and 10pm.
• Hotel bar

  Overlooking the pool area, the bar (again, it has no name) has been constructed from local wood using traditional techniques. An old fishing boat serves as the drinks counter, and a thatched roof covers those who come here to sip the signature pineapple-and-ginger caipirinhas till the wee small hours.

Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa Praça São João Batista (Quadrado Histórico) Trancoso, Bahia, x