In 20 + years of travel we had never made it to South America - just Mexico (which, despite its Latin flavour, is still North America) and a brief visit to Panama years ago. I want to get to know every continent on earth so I thought we better get started!

The two hotels that stood out to me represent both ends of the luxury spectrum. Excitement about new, hipster boutique hotel, the FASANO has ricocheted around the design world: at last Rio is on the jet-set map with a hotel that showcases an out of the ordinary aesthetic alongside an exclusive party scene. We are social people who really care about the visual atmosphere of our environment so I knew that the FASANO was unmissable.

I also booked two nights at the COPACABANA PALACE HOTEL – the very old-school flipside. The COPA is the city’s grande dame. It has the classic European grandeur of an impressive 1920s façade, a recently renovated ballroom and an amazing history: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers danced here in their famous Hollywood musical, Flying Down to Rio.