I just watched a programmme about Rio and its boutique hotels.....the most stunning was called LA SUITE views over the sea and the statue of Christ The Redeemer were spectacular. There was a wondeful deck and each of the rooms(only 7 I think) was decorated differently. The best suite was $400 per night and it was amazing, other rooms were $250. Definitely somewhere to check out if Rio figures in your travel plans
http://www.travelintelligence.net/wsd/hotels/htls_7253_..._Janeiro_review.html

This is a review and slide show on travel intelligence.

stunning then go to the Copacabana Palace in the name beach in Rio; queen Victoria and many others stay there; pure luxury.link
http://www.copacabanapalace.com.br/web/orio/orio_c2b_rooms.jsp

i stay in the Othon Palace which is not too shabby either in the same beach;when i go i stay here
http://www.othonhotels.com/

The featured hotels do indeed look "stunning" to use an overworked adjective!but my reason for posting the above was that it is a boutique style hotel with only a few rooms. I have stayed in many top line "chain" hotels from the Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and Orient Express hotels etc, in various locations around the world. Whilst they offer undoubted luxury, in my personal opinion they are all very much the same whichever city you are in. In my leisure time now, I prefer to seek out smaller usually owner/family run places which are unique to the area we are in. My experiences thus far have been positive and so I would probably not return to the world of 24hr room service, unless really pushed. It is possible to get a 5* experience outside the well known hotels(if 5* is your desire)and for now that is where my travel research is concentrated. To this end for our upcoming Irish trip I am researching family run establishments rather than going for top line hotels. Part of my quest is to find the "perfect breakfast"(as defined by an englishman!...my husband)as he regularly travels on business, his main gripe is the buffet style breakfast, which he hates with a passion. Only "cooked to order" will do!!

yes indeed i was just going for the word luxury. the trend in hotels nowdays is to go to boutique hotels (it what is call i am a consultant for them in Paris in accounting systems); here georgio armani has one:Fouquet's has one, and the trend is up all over. In Madrid they even design each floor diff by a diff designer like the hotel silken puerta america.
i see what you were saying now Poet123.