UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa

Our experience at Uxua was memorable and fantastic!! I had wanted to visit Uxua and Trancoso since reading an article about Trancoso 10 years ago, and they exceeded expectations! Our group of five all agreed that Uxua is one of the best hotels any of has ever visited. There are a few areas where we felt the hotel sets itself apart: Curated, Unique, Luxurious Spaces: We stayed at Casa do Lago and were floored from the moment we were shown our rooms. Each casa and room at Uxua is curated with reclaimed woods, furniture, and antiques. You can feel the thoughtfulness of each space and how each one uniquely reflects this special area of Brazil. Whether it's the design of a chair, placement of a hammock, or the candles they gave us each night for the lanterns on our coffee table - these are things we noticed and appreciated immensely. The entire property itself is gorgeous and serene. Service & Staff: The staff felt like our friends! We practically bombarded them with requests over WhatsApp and at reception throughout our stay, and they were extremely responsive and attentive to every ask. From the orientation they gave us on arrival, afternoon/sunset horseback riding they organized, surfing and transportation, the attentiveness at their beach club, to an additional tour of one of the properties they manage...every interaction and experience was warm and top-notch. Location: Trancoso is truly magical and one of the most unique and peaceful places we have visited. When you step out in front of Uxua and see the colorful fisherman's cottages and observe the peacefulness of the quadrado, you immediately feel transported. As the day turns to evening, young people play soccer on the quadrado, live music and bossa nova drifts from restaurants, and the trees/stores/restaurants light up. It is SO lovely to be next to all of this, to walk to shops, meals, the beach, to step right outside the hotel to horses waiting for us on the quadrado for the afternoon ride we scheduled. The beach is a bit of a walk from the hotel, but this wasn't an issue and made each visit feel more like a fun activity. Food & Drink: We LOVED our meals! The breakfast at the hotel had a plethora of items - fruits, cakes, cheeses, meats, juices, acai bowls and eggs made to order. The food at both the restaurant where we had lunch by the pool one day, and what we regularly ate at the beach club was delicious (and exactly what I wanted to eat on the beach at Brazil!). Thank you to the staff (including Jimmy, Carmen, and Harlen - and the rest of the Uxua team) for making our stay so wonderful and memorable! We are SORRY we forgot to sign the guestbook - each of us thought the other person was writing a note for our group!!

Unique, amazing, gorgeous!!! The hotel is stunning with each room / house being completely unique and full or art and surprising details. We stayed at the Casa do Arvore which is a chic tree house. A dream of a room in a dream of a hotel!

A longer review than usual because this property merits it. On arrival we were greeted by a young team, and immediately relieved of luggage, which was taken to our house (yes, you rent houses here, not rooms). We were given a tour by a lady who simply said “welcome to paradise” and she wasn’t exaggerating. It’s just an oasis. So lush, and green. Everything is built to blend in, the pool looks almost as though it was meant to be there naturally. The houses are made of mainly natural materials and are what might be called “rustic” but that doesn’t mean they’re not full of modern comforts! The shower (we had two, on an outside balcony, beautifully screened with natural vegetation), was powerfully and instant very hot water. The terrace had an enormous day bed. The kitchen had a large fridge and all you need to make a meal. The bed was king size and very comfortable. There’s a large screen tv (we didn’t watch it at all) and there’s effective air conditioning. The decor is contemporary but uses old items as well as new. It’s effective. We are at the restaurant for dinner once and it was very good. We had massages that were outstanding. And let’s not overlook the beach bar which reserved a sofa for each house daily and serves delicious food and drinks. The beach is a 10 minute walk down a hill and across a mango grove, but theres a courtesy car if you don’t fancy that. The beach is the stuff of dreams. Breakfast is also extremely good. What I love is that I’ve no idea how many houses there are here! It never feels busy and you bump into few people as you walk around, so it feels very private and secret. Is there anything that can be improved? Few hotels are perfect. If I’m being hyper critical, the wifi is patchy. I’d personally suggest that a property of this type might benefit from a no kids policy. I don’t mean to be harsh but it’s a sophisticated offering and it’s not as though they encourage children (there’s no kids pool) but some do stay and I really think other properties would be more suitable. Communication with reception/concierge is encouraged by WhatsApp rather than in person. I don’t mind that but some may prefer a more direct approach so I mention it just for awareness. Reception isn’t staffed past 10pm so I’ve no idea what happens after that! I’m struggling to offer much else that can be improved. If you want a proper escape from the madness, this is a great option. I’d love to come back soon.

Trancoso and Uxua were the final stop on our fantastic 3-week adventure to Brazil. We knew we wanted to go to Bahia but initially I had a different idea about location and hotel. So, so glad that our travel coordinator pointed us in the direction of Trancoso and Uxua, as our stay could not have been more perfect! First and foremost, the staff. Carlos, the head of hospitality, became our good friend in the 5 days we were in residence. He is so helpful, friendly, funny and warm! The personal approach he fosters is evident in all of the concierge staff - truly this is a place where everyone is made to feel "at home," but without any of the hassles of home. The food service staff, especially Gaby, Vittorio, and Sara, were so kind and sweet and helpful. Harlan, at the front desk, was also a standout. We felt so embraced by everyone. Now to the hotel itself. Luxury in a natural, rustic environment. We stayed in Casa da Arvore, the treehouse. So fabulous - a very large bedroom, with an extremely comfortable bed swathed in mosquito netting (yes, you need it - it's the rainforest!) and an equally large sitting room open to the outside (but with white curtains you can pull closed at night for privacy) and French doors to close off the bedroom so you can run the (very effective) A/C at night, if desired. Super comfy couch, and a hammock in the sitting room! A hot tub just for us on the back decking, and an outdoor sitting area with settee swings at ground level, beneath the treehouse structure. A very large rain shower for two, really delicious toiletries, soft thirsty towels, my my I could go on forever! The rest of the hotel is gorgeous - indoor/outdoor style, a very welcoming "social area" around the lovely pool (my husband said it was delightful), gym, sauna, massage room, restaurant on the Quadrado (we are there several times - delicious but small menu), beach bar about a 10 minute walk away, with comfy beach beds reserved for guests on the most beautiful beach - also great staff at the beach bar - thank you Naichi! The design of the hotel is so special, every detail lovingly curated by Wilbert Das, whom we also had the pleasure of meeting and who is an absolute sweetheart. Uxua was the perfect place to spend the last portion of our trip - we loved it so much we didn't even use the car that had been reserved for us - why mess with perfection? We can't wait to return. Thank you Uxua owners and staff!!!!

I hesitate to write a review in English because we Americans can treat beautiful places like Disney World, however, after such an amazing experience I can't not write a glowing review. If you appreciate natural beauty, can respect and appreciate local culture and custom, and love adventure, run don't walk to Troncoso and UXUA. Pictures can't do this place justice, it's breathtaking. All the lodging and amenities are perfect and well thought through. All of the decor and furniture are made by local artisans. Artisans you can meet and learn from. The people are really who make UXUA shine. Adriano worked security for our area of the resort (we stayed in Casa Das Artes, a beautiful villa full of local art and a beautiful private pool). He was incredibly helpful, warm, and welcoming. He helped us with our (very bad) Portuguese, advised us on local customs and good destinations, was extremely attentive and made us feel super secure (the area is very safe, the house is so beautiful it attracts lots of tourists taking pictures and asking questions). Gisele was a concierge that helped us as a translator during a very immersive experience with a local ceramicist (Ze) that welcomed us into his home and taught us about his work. She was super fun to spend time with, very knowledgeable and a great translator. Honestly, are too many great people working at UXUA to mention them all, Leo was an awesome and welcoming chef who very patiently taught us how to make Moqueca (so good!), Harlan was a super helpful, friendly, and knowledgable concierge who helped us with our plans. The breakfasts were incredible. It was such an amazing experience from the moment we got there and got the tour from Jimmy to when Harlan saw us off the the airport. Can't say enough good things about Troncoso and UXUA. We will be back.