One of the most common questions we receive isn't about breakfast.
Or parking.
Or airport transfers.
It's this."You're not in Copacabana?"
Sometimes I hear hesitation in the guest's voice.
Occasionally they've even considered cancelling.
They've spent years dreaming about Rio de Janeiro.
In their minds, Rio means Copacabana.
I understand completely.
If you've never visited the city, that's what you've seen in films, postcards and travel advertisements.
During my interview with Sarah Riley, she asked why we chose Santa Teresa instead.
My answer surprised many listeners.
We chose Santa Teresa because we weren't trying to recreate the Rio everyone already knows.
We wanted people to discover the Rio they didn't know existed.
The Santa Teresa of artists.
Historic architecture.
Cobblestone streets.
Small cafés.
Music drifting through the neighbourhood.
The yellow tram climbing the hillside.
Local galleries.
Neighbours greeting one another.
A community that still feels lived in rather than simply visited.
When we first arrived, we fell in love with those things.
The property itself was beautiful.
But the neighbourhood gave it meaning.
Sarah described something I think captures it perfectly.
She spoke about sitting beside our swimming pool, looking across the city, before walking through narrow streets filled with history and character.
That's the experience we hoped to create.
Not simply somewhere to sleep.
Somewhere to belong.
Interestingly, many guests who initially questioned our location later tell us it's their favourite part of the trip.
They discover they can spend the morning exploring Rio's famous landmarks before returning to somewhere quiet.
They experience both worlds.
The energy of the city.
The calm of Santa Teresa.
That balance becomes one of the things they remember most.
It also taught me an important lesson about branding.
You don't need to apologise for being different.
You need to explain why you're different.
Once guests understand what Santa Teresa offers, many become even more excited than they were about Copacabana.
The neighbourhood isn't a compromise.
It's the experience.
As Sarah Riley said during our conversation, boutique hospitality isn't about copying what everyone else is doing.
It's about creating something authentic.
Santa Teresa allowed us to do exactly that.
Looking back, I'm grateful for every guest who asked whether we were in Copacabana.
Because each conversation reminded me of something important.
Sometimes the greatest value your business offers is exactly what makes it different from everyone else.