We’ve had our eye on Pelican Eyes in Nicaragua for a while, but felt like some improvements needed to come into play to make this a true upscale travel lodging option. Also known as Piedras y Olas (Rocks and Waves), this is a San Juan del Sur institution that started out modestly and grew along with the destination.

With an expanding number of villas in the mix as nightly room choices, Pelican Eyes now offers reason enough to stay in San Juan del Sur rather than venturing on to Morgan’s Rock. There are still some obvious rough spots, especially when it comes to service and shuttles, but there are enough other positives to make up for it.

All of the two-floor, two-bedroom casas (houses) and smaller casitas (townhouses) are constructed with the same smooth, whitewashed style as the original hotel. They are airy and expansive, luxuriously outfitted with hand-carved furnishings, locally sewn linens, salto ceramic tiles, skylights, and delightful bedrooms overarched with adobe brick ceilings reminiscent of a Spanish wine cellar. All the units open onto marvelous private patios and porches; the casas have two.

Full gourmet kitchens, with hand-painted tiles, professional cookware, and an assortment of appliances (mixers, blenders, and more) are complimented with tasteful dining areas. Enormous, modern marble and glazed-cement bathrooms have rainforest showerheads and thoughtful amenities.

With two restaurants with a view, pools, and a great panorama of the bay throughout, this is the best place in town to kick back and take it all in.

See our detailed review of Pelican Eyes in San Juan del Sur.

See more luxury hotels in Nicaragua.

I noted last week that we had added a review of the vastly upgraded Tivoli in São Paulo, Brazil and we’ve got another addition to our reviews there up now too: L’Hotel Porto Bay.

L’Hotel Porto Bay is one of those hidden gems you don’t hear much about except from those who are in the know.

This 80-room hotel brings a lot of Europe to South America in the attitude and decor and it is a favorite with business executives and diplomats rather than rock stars and trust fund entourages. Choose this one for a “tranquil, old-world ambiance” in the “chaotic nerve center” of the city.

And here’s something you don’t see very often in Brazil:

“American travelers represent the largest contingent of foreign guests (Brazil’s Citibank headquarters lie a block away), which perhaps explains the fact that everyone – from the reception staff to the maid who brings evening chocolates and turns down your bed – breaks into fluent English the minute they suspect it’s your native tongue.”

See our full review of L’Hotel Porto Bay.

We continue to expand our hotel coverage in Brazil with the addition of the DPNY Beach Hotel (a favorite getaway for wealthy Sao Paulo residents) on the southern coast. It’s situated in a cove on the Ilhabela island, making it the closest thing to a private beach you get in Brazil. On that beach you find “an intricate maze of beach chairs, parasols, four-poster beds, and teepees (for the privacy starved and sun-shy). All of the above come with white leather cushions or mattresses and enormous zebra-skin pillows upon which you can very easily fall asleep.”

DPNY tries hard to be a hipster hotel, with its name made of initials, the party going until sunrise, and a DJ spinning tunes in the public areas all hours day and night. But our correspondent Michael Sommers says it’s done with the right attitude.

“DPNY achieves the rare feat of being mind-blowingly original in a way that pays homage to Brazilians’ talent for combining disparate elements to create works of great singularity. What saves DPNY from being too hip is its emphasis on casualness and playfulness—happily, it doesn’t take itself too seriously.”

He says the views here are heavenly, but upgrade from a standard room if you want any natural light in your room. Overall though, this is a winner. “If you’re in the mood for fun in the sun amidst beautiful surroundings, you won’t be disappointed.” See the full review of DPNY.

When we first sent someone to review the best hotels in Brazil, the Mofarrej business hotel in São Paulo didn’t come close to making the cut. Now completely revamped as the Tivoli Mofarrej São Paulo, it has a different face and attitude to show off.

“Although in theory, the São Paulo Mofarrej has been around for some time—it spent more than 25 years under the aegis of both Sheraton and Gran Melia–the hotel had the recent good fortune to land in the hands of Portugal’s Tivoli chain. After spending seven months closed for (much anticipated) renovations, the new and very much improved Tivoli São Paulo Mofarrej reopened in February 2009 to great acclaim. Within months it joined the exclusive Leading Hotels of the World club and was named by the Quatros Rodas guide (Brazil’s equivalent of the Michelin) as one of the top hotels in the country.”

We don’t automatically add hotels that have paid to be part of the Leading Hotels of the World marketing group, but it’s a good sign, as is the addition of a spa run by Banyan Tree. Since our contributor Michael Sommers lives in Brazil and is a guidebook writer, his endorsement tipped the scales and we’re happy to add this rejuvenated hotel in a great location to our reviews of the best hotels in Brazil’s capital. See our full review of  Tivoli São Paulo Mofarrej.