Hotel Maitei

A hilltop boutique hotel on the Bahian coast, Hotel Maitei keeps things small, seventeen rooms, each with an ocean-view balcony, a two-person Jacuzzi, and linens that suggest someone actually thought about thread count. The beach requires a downhill walk, which turns out to be a reasonable trade when the alternative is a chaise longue by the pool with a bartender slicing limes for caipirinhas below a view of aquamarine water. No children under twelve.