Hotel Historico Fazenda Dona Carolina

The food had plenty of choices for vegetarians and meat eaters, and there were lots of things to do, from the pool to farm animals and sports. Fazenda D. Carolina has spacious rooms and a colonial feel that really takes you back in time. My wife and I arrived around 1am Sunday, the 21st July, after getting married. Reception welcomed us kindly, and there was a bottle of champagne waiting in the room, a lovely touch. Still, I expected more for a five-star hotel at this price. Two nights cost the equivalent of 6 Brazilian minimum salaries, even in high season, and I’ve paid less at five-star hotels in Europe. The air conditioning wasn’t working properly, which we needed since it was quite cold. There was no toilet brush, which made cleaning up after ourselves awkward. The bedroom windows were very dirty, with children’s handprints and faces visible on the glass. At 8:10am on Sunday, children were left screaming in the corridor while my wife and I were trying to sleep off bad colds. I’m not sure what their tutors were doing inside the bedroom while the kids were out there. The hotel is charming and romantic, but extremely expensive. Families with children and guests without children aren’t well accommodated together. For a five-star place, these are serious issues that need urgent attention.

My seven-year-old son was thrilled with the Kids club activities, and we enjoyed every bit of our time there. I also won an expedition adventure that the families joined, and they gave us amazing premium service. I’ll leave out the details so it can still be a surprise for anyone who wins. It’s an excellent historic farm hotel. The accommodation, staff and service were perfect, and some of the staff can speak English.

The food was fresh and fantastic, and the place has a real historic feel. It’s a farm and resort together, with lovely people and really great service. A nice spot to relax.

The buildings still have their old-world charm, but the rooms were comfortable, with crisp sheets, plenty of space and modern bathrooms. We came for a corporate event and took a group shuttle from Sao Paulo. It rained the whole time, so I didn’t get to explore much of the grounds. I could see a soccer field, tennis court and playground, though, and it looks like it could be a fun family weekend away.