David Beckham lands in Rio de Janeiro for Carnival – and we take a sneak peek inside his stylish Ipanema Beach hotel
Jetsetter: David Beckham was recently in Paris for Fashion Week before jetting off to Rio
David Beckham has touched down in the home of this year’s World Cup to join the biggest party in Brazil – its annual Carnival.
The sports ambassador is said to be gearing up to star in the final weekend of Rio’s Carnival, riding a float as the winning samba schools from this week’s parades travel through the city’s iconic Sambadrome.
With Brazil hosting the World Cup this June and July, it is no surprise that Beckham is in town for the country’s most important annual event.
And with the footballing legend reportedly staying at the Fasano hotel on Ipanema Beach – the most stylish address in the city – MailOnline Travel takes a peek inside the city’s top design hotel.
Ipanema, one of Rio’s most fashionable districts, is fringed with golden sands and packed with trendy boutiques.
Each weekend in summer, the city’s beautiful people descend on its sands en masse and celebrities visiting the city choose the well-located Fasano as their base, just steps from the centre of it all.
The interior has been created by French interior designer Philippe Starck, with wood, lass and marble giving the whole hotel a chic finish.
The 92 rooms have either a courtyard of ocean view and it is thought Beckham will probably be staying in one of the 10 suites which boast sweeping vistas of the coastline, taking in the verdant mountains as well as the miles of beaches that border the city.
For even better views of the ‘Marvellous City’, Beckham could head up to the rooftop infinity pool for a swim before heading onto a special area of Ipanema Beach reserved exclusively for hotel guests.
Take the plunge: Beckham will be able to look out over Ipanema Beach from the Fasano’s rooftop pool
Room with a view: The hotel’s suites face out to see, looking over Ipanema
Carnival is one o fthe most popular times to visit Rio and the party kicked off in style last weekend, when the top 12 samba schools went head-to-head in a competition that spanned two nights and involved feathers, sequins and plenty of over-the-top costumes.
The three winners will be taking to the Sambadrome once again to close the event, which is when Beckham is expected to take part.
French chic: The hotel interiors are designed by Philippe Starck
Cool off: The beach is just steps from the hotel, but for more exclusivity, Beckham can grab a lounger by the infinity pool
He will be one of the 920,000 international tourists who have travelled to Rio this year to experience Carnival.
According to the Rio de Janeiro’s Tourism Board (Riotur), the Carnival will generate around BRL $2.2billion (£570million), BRL $1.7billion (£450million) of this being related solely to tourism which signals a 10 per cent increase on last year.
Fancy splashing out on a Beckham-style break to the Fasano? Journey Latin America (020 8622 8444, www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk) is quoting a tailor-made trip to Brazil, with three nights at the Fasano, from £2,122 per person. But sadly they can’t guarantee a spot on a float in the Carnival… or the company of Beckham.
Party time: Rio has been beating to the sounds of samba all week as the Carnival got into full swing
