SURVIVING<br >BRAZIL IN STYLE<br >Before You Go<br >Accommodations<br >stylish and often reasonably priced， quaint pousadas (or inns) in historical<br >houses， and - for the truly budget minded - two-star hotels， youth hostels，<br >and simple pensions with ceiling fan. Most hotels are rated according to a<br >five-star scale by EMBRATUR， the official tourist board. Be aware，<br >however， that the board s values are not always equivalent in different<br >regions of the country (or comparable to international standards). The<br >quality of five-star properties in Rio and S~o Paulo is variable， but more<br >often competitive with international expectations. Such hotels usually offer<br >an array of facilities， including excellent pools， gourmet restaurants，<br >~ashiortabie decor， exercise equipment and/or sauna， boutiques and fine<br >service. As you move up the northeast coast and into the Amazon region，<br >tttrea-star hotels will sometimes challenge American standards of<br > deardiness， and those rated with two stars， unless otherwise stated， can<br > 0nly be recommended for backpackers.<br > A recent tourist trend， particularly in Rio， Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte，<br > are apart-hotels， which are usually exquisitely decorated apartments<br > costing much less than five- and sometimes four-star hotels. They are<br > exceUent choices for families， large groups， or even singles wishing to<br > escape the tourist hubbub of larger hotels. Youth hostels are generally<br > upbeat and clean， do not discriminate by age， and provide an extremely<br > valuable social network.<br > Room rates fluctuate greatly throughout the year， not only because of<br > inflation， but in response to the various seasons. During low season<br > (Mar.-June and Aug.-Nov.)， a 20% discount is not uncommon， but you or<br > your agent must ask for it. The highest rates are charged between Dec. and<br > Feb. (end of Carnaval)， the month of July， and especially the weeks around<br > fiarnaval. Reservations should be made up to six months in advance during<br > Camaval and other regional folkloric events， such as Oktoberfest in<br > Blumenau.<br >Exc<br >ackage deals can be obtained through various private tour<br >at you will find listed under Package Deals below and the<br ><br >