We spent almost 2 months in Brazil during the Portuguese winter and took advantage of our stay there to enjoy family time and take advantage of some hotels with facilities for children, such as St. Moritz Farm Hotel on New Year's holiday.
We bought the package well in advance 4 nights with all meals included and also with an end of year party that included fireworks! I did a lot of research and got quotes for hotels around Rio de Janeiro, but the prices were outrageous and we didn't even consider going over our budget.
As we had already spent New Year's Eve 2019 there – I told you all about that trip here – and we knew the party was good, we had no doubts and did it again. This time we paid a little over R$1,000 for the Standard Economy suite in the chalets near the main house and then in the checkout we pay for the drinks we consume during meals and the party.
With 2 children under 5 years old and one of them breastfeeding every 2 hours in the early morning, we realized that it would be impossible to find a more practical, fun and affordable option than this one. It was so good that we still think about going back again! Now let's summarize our stay, without going into the details of the day-to-day routine because it was too repetitive, OK?
The hotel
For those who don't know, São Moritz is a traditional family hotel in Rio de Janeiro that was founded by a Swiss couple who fell in love with the region. It is located on a huge plot of land with an impeccable garden, forests, a lake, 2 swimming pools (one of which is heated), a mini farm, small buildings with apartments, chalets, a main house, support houses, a soccer field, playgrounds and, on top of all that, it has an incredible view of the native forest all around it.
It is located between Teresópolis and Nova Friburgo, approximately 3 hours by car from Rio.
Some photos from there:
The meals
The hotel operates on a regime All Inclusive, that is, all meals are included in the daily rate, but drinks are paid for separately. Every now and then we would order house water and not pay for it. The menu is quite varied with many options of salads, desserts, meats, fish and pasta, and the seasoning is homemade, you know? Like food from our childhood? That's right. Good food, no frills...
You eat as much as you want, choose where to sit, are always well attended to by the many waiters who are there and leave happily to enjoy the hotel's outdoor space. There are highchairs for babies with fabric belts (!!) and baby food too, if needed.
Attractions for children
The hotel is a delight for those with children! In addition to having everything I mentioned above, it offers free entertainment with the super-excited uncles from 9 am until almost 9 pm. There are endless activities. Unfortunately, my children are still too young to enjoy a whole day of recreation, but we managed to do a few things, such as feeding the farm animals and fish in the lake (almost every day), horse-drawn carriage rides, bingo, jet skiing, night walks with a bonfire, firefly hunting and lots of slides in the heated children's pool.
Since it rained a lot, we didn't play much in the garden or outdoor playgrounds, but we really enjoyed the games room and the heated pool. Some photos:
New Year's Eve Party
For me, the most anticipated moment of the trip was the New Year's Eve party. As I said above, we spent New Year's Eve 2019 there and were delighted with the party, so the expectations for New Year's Eve 2022 were high!
The night of 12/31 started with a special dinner at the convention center and to my surprise and happiness, there was shrimp in pumpkin, one of my favorite dishes, as well as other delicious options.
After dinner and dessert, we went to the dance floor, which had a lively DJ and live band throughout the night. The entertainers even helped to liven up the party. At midnight, as expected, we were delighted by the beautiful fireworks from the hotel itself.
Juju helped out by sleeping beautifully in the stroller and waking up occasionally for her feeds, and Paddy really enjoyed the fireworks and had energy until about 2 am, when we all went to bed.
It was an absolute success and we're thinking about coming back again. Who knows, maybe next time with the rest of the family? I hope so! <3
