Belmond Hotel das Cataratas

We stayed for 4 nights at the Belmond Hotel das Cataratas, and the location is absolutely stunning. The real magic is being inside the national park, so you can experience the Iguazu falls in the early morning and evening, before and after the crowds arrive. It feels incredibly special. The hotel is beautiful, with a traditional colonial style in pink and white. The rooms themselves are nothing particularly special, but we were lucky enough to have one overlooking the falls, which made up for it. We chose to have dinner at the buffet restaurant each evening, which offered a great selection and suited us perfectly. Breakfast was also a very good buffet with plenty of choice. It was too cold for us to use the swimming pool, but it looked lovely. The gym is small, but I was always able to use the machines as it was rarely busy. You can also borrow their pink bikes for an easy jungle trail. There was a lovely atmosphere at the bar in the evenings, with live jazz-style music and good cocktails. They also serve complimentary Prosecco at sunset each evening, which is a lovely touch. But, above all, the location is what makes this hotel so extraordinary. Within a 15-minute walk, you have some of the most spectacular viewpoints of the falls almost entirely to yourself, as well as easy access to the Brazilian-side viewing platform. Walking towards the falls with a glass of Prosecco as the sun sets is an experience I will never forget.

Amazing hotel in a fabulous location. The staff were wonderful especially the guys in the bar. Food was fabulous. Room lovely and best location in Iguazú

You can enjoy the fantastical waterfall in the morning. While some facilities are old, such as the inability to flush toilet paper, the service is impeccable.

We booked the special Fondue Experience at Hotel das Cataratas expecting an intimate, romantic and premium experience worthy of a Belmond property. Unfortunately, the reality was completely different from our expectations. The biggest disappointment was actually the setting. We were seated indoors in a common area of the hotel, near the fireplace, where there are couches and other hotel guests sitting, relaxing and chatting. There was absolutely nothing private, intimate or particularly special about the atmosphere. We were essentially having our “special experience” in a communal hotel lounge while conversations from other guests were happening around us. For something marketed and priced as an experience rather than simply a meal, this was extremely disappointing. Unfortunately, the food made matters even worse. The cheese fondue served to us was essentially mozzarella and Parmesan with cream. It was extremely heavy and bland and tasted much more like a basic creamy melted-cheese sauce than the quality of fondue we expected from a luxury hotel. Had the setting been exceptional, perhaps it could have compensated somewhat for the food. Had the food been exceptional, perhaps we could have overlooked the setting. Unfortunately, neither was good. We specifically booked this expecting it to be a memorable and romantic evening during our stay at Hotel das Cataratas. Instead, we were seated in a common lounge surrounded by other guests chatting and were served a fondue that we could barely enjoy. The location of Hotel das Cataratas itself is extraordinary, and this review is specifically about the Fondue Experience. But at this price point and at a hotel carrying the Belmond name, the experience should be considerably better executed. I would absolutely not recommend paying a premium for the Fondue Experience based on what we experienced.

Location is unique. Regrettably the hotel takes advantage of this and knows people will come no matter how badly they are treated. Food was truly awful. Ok to stay for one night but set expectations low.