Sojourn Boutique Hotels

About Sojourn Boutique Hotels

Founded in 2012, Sojourn Boutique Hotels represents a new vision for Brazilian hospitality – one that celebrates the country’s incredible diversity through intimate, sustainable luxury experiences. What began as a single 16-room boutique property in historic Paraty has evolved into a collection of five distinctive hotels, each designed to immerse guests in the unique character of its location while maintaining a unifying commitment to authentic local experiences and environmental stewardship.

Each Sojourn property is created through careful restoration of historic buildings or low-impact new construction using local materials and traditional building techniques. The brand’s philosophy centers on the concept of “sense of place” – the belief that a hotel should serve as a gateway to experiencing a region’s culture, cuisine, and natural environment in ways that benefit local communities.

With strategically located properties along Brazil’s coast and in its spectacular inland regions, Sojourn has established itself as the country’s leading boutique hotel brand for conscious travelers seeking meaningful connections with Brazil’s diverse landscapes and cultures.

Founder’s Journey

Isabela Mendez’s path to founding Sojourn began during her fifteen-year career with a major international hotel chain, where she rose to regional director overseeing operations across South America. Despite her success in corporate hospitality, Mendez became increasingly frustrated by standardized approaches that failed to showcase Brazil’s rich diversity.

“I kept seeing foreign tourists staying in properties that could have been anywhere in the world,” Mendez explains. “They were visiting one of the most culturally and ecologically rich countries on the planet but experiencing none of it within their accommodations.” After a transformative sabbatical spent traveling Brazil’s lesser-known regions, Mendez developed the concept for Sojourn – a collection of properties that would serve as gateways to authentic Brazilian experiences.

Market Presence

Sojourn has established a strategic presence across Brazil’s most distinctive regions with five owner-operated properties across four states (Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Minas Gerais, and Goiás), with a headquarters office in Rio de Janeiro managing centralized marketing, reservations, and development.

The brand concentrates on areas combining natural beauty, cultural significance, and growing tourism demand, with a particular focus on UNESCO World Heritage sites and regions near national parks. The original Paraty property remains the brand’s flagship, embodying its commitment to historic preservation and serving as a training center for new property staff.

Sojourn’s strategy targets regions that combine natural beauty, cultural heritage, and growing tourism infrastructure. The brand specifically seeks locations that offer a distinctive sense of place while remaining accessible to international and domestic travelers. The current portfolio creates a distinctive circuit of properties allowing travelers to experience Brazil’s remarkable diversity – from coastal colonial towns to mountain ranges, tropical beaches, and savanna landscapes – while maintaining a consistent standard of service and sustainability.