"One under-appreciated drawback to a hotel that’s located right on the beach (the up side is obvious, we hope) is that the view tends to be less than extraordinary. A horizon is a horizon. The best sea views come from on high — see Santorini for an example. So Vila d’este is a rather steep flight of stairs from the beach, on the Atlantic coast of Búzios. Watch one sunset from the clifftop pool deck, though, and you’ll no doubt consider the staircase a very fair price." - Tablet Hotels