Pousada Vila Kebaya

In a pandemic-ridden year, my daughter pointed out we hadn't left home since Christmas of the year before. In particular she had hoped we could hit a beach. So in early October after missing out on a previous long weekend, we scheduled for 2nights/3 days on Ilhabela which is a solid 4 hr drive (including 20 minutes ferry crossing) from Sao Paulo. Unfortunately, after a week of 30C weather, it started raining on Friday, well into Sunday morning. So... it was not so warm, but when the sun finally broke through, the weather was beachworthy We found Kebaya well rated on TripAdvisor and I can say from reception to checkout (even after checkout), the bed and breakfast was first class all the way. The hotel was a Brazilian interpretation of Ubud, Bali even with a small porch for visiting saguis (small monkeys) and various birds to come and feed during the day. There are Buddhist themed decorations throughout with a smattering of wooden Hindu/Balinese references common to Bali. Our room was spacious - it had an ante-room with two twin beds and TV. The suite was separated by a sliding wooden door and it had a balcony (sporting a hammock), a TV, AC and in room hot tub. The hot tub was a hit with the kids especially on the first day which turned out to be a bit rainy and damp. The bathroom which is common to both rooms was spacious and had frosted glass windows to let natural light into the room. Breakfast was a multi-course affair - typical Brazilian 'cafe de manha" with some twists. Waffles made of pao de queijo batter, slow drip individual sieve ground coffee, capim Santo frosted cupcake, and variety of fruit juices. There were so many courses that even though the portions are compact, you can't help but be full when all is said and done. The hotel also offers a tea time from 1630 - 1830 in the main eating area with assorted cakes, teas, and the same coffee starring in breakfast. The hotel grounds are compact, and well organized. As the hotel was built on the side of a hill, the front desk reception is on the top and then the dining area is below and serves as a central hub to connect to the work out area, a reading room, and a small, heated infinity pool and jacuzzi that overlooks the small rainforest. We took advantage of the pool on the morning before checkout as the sun was in the sweet spot over the pool area. The only regret my wife had is that we had no visibility of the beach or waterfront from the hotel. I guess there's something about an ocean view in the morning. Marcos from the front desk was cordial from checkin to checkout. The full staff used face masks at all times and gave us some modicum of reassurance that they took steps to reduce the risk from COVID19. Marcos let us check-in a little early since we arrived a bit before the normal check-in time and our room was already ready. He also gave us some dining tips and a quick run down of tours on the island. The location is perfect for walking around "historic center" which is home to some churches and repurposed buildings as well as great food options, local artisans, and typical beach town shopping. Overall, we had a fruitful stay and made the most of the accommodations. My wife scheduled two "Balinese massages" which she enjoyed in the massage room near the reception. Except for one afternoon when we decided to check out the island, we were able to leave the car parked at the hotel and enjoy the local neighborhood. The stay was totally fine for the kids, but there were no other kids on the premises during the stay. Our 5 year old bumped his head running around on a block of wood under the stairs and flipping off the hammock. (He's fine) Also, he managed to lock us into the suite when he jammed the sliding door shut. I called the front desk and they freed us in a jiffy, but I am glad he didn't do that in the middle of the night. The TVs were also tricky to configure since the TV remote and set-top box were controlled separately and the TV kept defaulting to the antenna when switched off, thereby requiring the user to switch to HDMI2 to see the satellite. Overall I stand by the excellent rating - a little pricey for Brazil, but worth it if you judge by global standards, which it lives up to.

We had a great stay at Vila Kebaya and would have loved to stay longer than just 3 nights. The staff is very friendly and helps with everything. The breakfast and the view was definitely our highlight! Thank you, for this lovely stay.

I have travelled the world and stayed in many a luxurious hotel, My favourites are Lindos Blu and Royal Mirage Dubai, however I would now also put Hotel Vila Kebaya on the beautiful Ilha Bela in Brazil alongside these, the setting is fabulous, our Vila room 13 is idyllic, the staff are so happy and helpful and it would be wrong to name just one or two, such a wonderful place and I am so grateful to everyone for making this a wonderful first experience to Brazil.

With my husband and I love to travel, we had visited around 47 countries around the world. But this place was so special for us. Besides feeling you have arrive to Bali, Indonesia, but inside a Brazilian island, the hotel has many decor details, you feel inside the Brazilian forest, but with all the confort of a 5 hotel stars. The bedroom has everything you need, the jacuzzi is very smart located in the balcony, where you can rest at the end of the day. Besides the hotel has all the confort you can imagine, what we loved the most was all the team working there. They are the most welcoming people we have met! They made us feel at home immediately. They gave us a tour inside the hotel, ask us if we have some food restriction, give us recommendations about where to go and how, supported us in all our holidays needs. And the breakfast was so delicious and well served that we enjoyed every morning. Everybody with a big and honest smile Everyday we stayed, that we didn’t want to leave. After this experience every other hotel service you can compare doesn’t get to the same level. We also took a couples massage, and the therapist were excellent. I strongly recommend this place. I believe there is no other place in Ilhabela you must go.

I came here to spend a few days with my family and IT'S PERFECT. The staff is amazing, the room is amazing, the pool is amazing, the breakfast is PERFECT! There's nothing to complain about. You're very close to the nature and can feel the good vibes everywhere. The hotel is beautiful, the decoration perfect and makes you feel very relaxed somehow! The breakfast is amazing! Really, it's perfect.