Second best in the world, hotel in Gramado has daily rates from R$ 900; see photos

If we had the perfect hotel, what would it look like?

It was from this provocation –actually, a joke between a couple during their vacation trips– that the idea for the Hotel Colline de France was born, opened in 2018 in Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul.

The venture, founded by Ana Clara Tomazi, 36, and Jonas Tomazi, 41, has only 4 out of 2,400 reviews below the maximum rating on TripAdvisor.

The score took the hotel to the top of the travel site’s rankings last year. In 2022, he lost only to a stay in Costa Rica.

Before Colline de France, Ana Clara worked as a director of a footwear company and Jonas, as a realtor. The couple does not disclose the amount invested to put the hotel on its feet, only that it was in the eight-figure range. The operation of the business requires about R$ 200 thousand per month.

To maintain the hotel with 34 beds per month, it costs around R$ 200,000, depending on the duration of the occupation.

With 34 beds, the style of the Colline de France refers to the country in the mid-19th century. The couple’s choice was thought to differentiate the place from the others, also of European style, located in the mountains of Rio Grande do Sul.

“There are several German hotels in Gramado. Italian hotels too. We opted for the French one, which reminds us of a softer, romantic style with good gastronomy”, explains Ana Clara.

Having chosen the general style, the couple went to the details: the softness of the sheets, the dimensions of the towels, the crispness of the sweets and snacks and even the aroma of the hotel.

The “Colline scent” was created by perfumers from a company specialized in Gramado, Santho Aroma, to convey the feeling of coziness.

Without being linked to any major hotel chain and without the intention of competing with luxury tourist destinations such as Dubai and Las Vegas, Colline’s owners attribute the place in the world ranking, above all, to the extremely attentive service.

“If you can spend as much as possible on every detail, you can come very close to an ideal. But from our own experience, we can say that the best places we’ve been have been the ones we felt most welcome. That’s not money. can buy”, says Ana Clara.

For the same reason, a rating of less than five stars is received with regret.

“Sometimes it’s a matter of taste, like the softer lighting in the hotel, which may not please everyone. But a not so positive evaluation has already led us to important reflections and to review processes”, says the owner.

These are details such as delivering the welcome tower –a treat of sweets and snacks– closer to the arrival of the guests, so that they are not tasted cold.

The daily price varies according to five categories of accommodation, starting at R$900 and reaching R$4,000. Availability depends on the days of the week chosen.

Winter weekends, Gramado’s high season, and commemorative dates are more difficult. Valentine’s Day, for example, has been sold out for almost a year. But there is availability in close dates for less crowded days. For 2023, more than guests in quantity, Ana Clara keeps looking for satisfied guests.

“To return to number 1 in the ranking, of course”, he says.