The Fasano, Salvador stands proud on the outskirts of Pelourinho, the cultural centre of Salvador and a UNESCO world heritage site.

Housed in an impressive art deco building, once the home to A Tarde newspapers head office, the building has been lovingly restored by The Fasano Group.

The history of the Fasano group stems all the way back to 1902 when Vittorio Fasano moved from Italy to Brazil and opened an Italian restaurant. In 1942, after Vittorio’s death, his eldest son continued the family legacy and opened a Fasano restaurant in São Paulo.

In the last 20 years, the group expanded into hotels and opened The Fasano Salvador in 2018 and has been the place to be seen ever since, with its reputation for discretion and sophistication, guests can relax at the roof top pool, which overlooks the bay of all saints.

As we were visiting The Fasano after flights from the UK, via Lisbon, and the fact we landed late at night, we took advantage of the transportation facilities booked through the hotel.

Although a bit more expensive than through a third party or a taxi, it meant that when we arrived tired, we were met by a driver with a sign and transported seamlessly to the hotel, which late at night took approx 30 mins.

Check in was quick and effortless and by the time we were walked up to our room, our bags were already there waiting for us.

The room was large and had plenty of cupboard space, which is something a city centre hotel can quite often be lacking, the bathroom was also huge, with a large walk-in shower, which had a full pressure rain shower, which when using, you didn’t want to leave.

This was also the first hotel I have ever stayed in with, not only an electric bidet, but also a heated toilet seat, which also electronically raised and lowered, this must be what ‘making it’ feels like!!

Toiletries are of course supplied, but for once, I actually used them, with my own choice of Molton Brown, staying in the wash bag until the next hotel.

Food and drink is available 24hrs a day, but we were exhausted when we first arrived after our flights, and were happy just to dive straight into bed for a good nights sleep, which it definitely was, with the bed being super comfortable.

Breakfast was included in the room rate, which consisted of a continental style buffet, with the addition of some local Bahian dishes, plus various styles of eggs ordered fresh from the menu.

We were lucky to grab one of the two tables on the small outdoor balcony, which had great views over the Bay of All Saints. Service was again impeccable, with food to match. After a fill of fresh coffee, eggs Benedict and some Pão de Queijo, we were ready to take on the day.

One of the reasons for choosing this hotel for our first 2 nights, was its location and close proximity to Pelourinho, in fact it takes less that 3 mins to walk to the famous elevator and main square.

After a self tour of the city, what better than to relax by the pool with a Caipiroska and stunning view of the bay. (You can read more about the time in Brazil here)

The pool, situated on the roof of The Fasano, not only has great views of the bay, but also a bar with waiter service, meaning that you can sip cocktails in the sunshine, without ever leaving your sun lounger or pool.

After a couple of hours of lounging by the pool (While India indulged in a massage in the in-house spa), it was time to think about dinner. We couldn’t stay at the Fasano without trying out its Italian food, and so for dinner we opted for the hotels restaurant.

Freshly made pasta, gnocchi and meat/fish dishes were plenty, but its was the Osso Buço Gnocchi that appealed most to me, which also went beautifully with Fasano’s own labelled Chianti, which they source themselves from Italy, along with a range of other own label wines.

I wouldn’t usually travel to a country in South America, especially Brazil and head to an Italian Restaurant, however its something The Fasano is well known for, and I am pleased to announce that it did not disappoint in the slightest.

After indulging in the gorgeous food and drink the in restaurant the night before, I made sure I was up early the following day, to use the in house gym. Situated on the rooftop, I was alone in using the facilities, which were ample. It was the views however, that made this workout something unique.

As stated previously, the reason for choosing The Fasano, was its perfect location, however everything about the hotel made the start to our trip in Brazil an absolute dream.

We spent the rest of the morning walking around Salvador, before checking out and heading up to the coconut coast, which I will be sharing in another review real soon.

If your thinking about heading out to Salvador, Brazil, this hotel is a fab first, or even last stop on a trip, so be sure to check it out.