Via Avantgarde's loft beside the Lacerda Elevator in Salvador's upper town: a bamboo ceiling, Bahian antiques, a gourmet kitchen and a soaking tub for the end of the day.
- A soaking tub with a view over the city
- Queen orthopaedic bed; sleeps two
- Kitchen with granite counters and a five-burner gas range
- Dedicated workspace and fast Wi-Fi
- Steps from the Lacerda Elevator, in a building with a lift
The Penthouse Jacuzzi is the flagship of Via Avantgarde, a small group of four design-led suites in the Cidade Alta, the historic upper town of Salvador da Bahia. It is a loft at the top of a building with a lift, a short walk from the Lacerda Elevator, and it sleeps two. Via Avantgarde describes the look as bohemian: a bamboo-slatted ceiling, theatrical lighting, and antiques collected across Bahia, some of them more than a century old.
The space
The loft is one open room arranged around its centrepiece, a soaking tub, set where you can see out over the city from it. The bed is a queen with an orthopaedic mattress. The kitchen is properly equipped for cooking, with Brazilian granite counters, a five-burner gas range, a microwave, a toaster, a blender and a drip coffee maker, and there is a dining table. There is a dedicated workspace, with internet the house quotes at 100 MB, air-conditioning, a ceiling fan and a JBL Bluetooth speaker.
Arrival is simple: check-in is self-service with a smart lock, so a late flight into Salvador is not a problem. Bed linen, towels and the basics are provided, along with books to read and a hair dryer.
The setting
The Cidade Alta is Salvador's old centre, on the cliff above the port. The Lacerda Elevator, the art deco lift tower that has carried people between the upper and lower towns since the nineteenth century, is a few steps away; at the bottom are the Mercado Modelo and the waterfront. In the other direction are the painted houses and churches of the Pelourinho, the historic centre listed by UNESCO, with its music, bars and restaurants. Everything near the suite is reachable on foot. The streets are steep, cobbled and lively, especially at weekends, and parking is in a paid lot off the premises.
Getting there is straightforward. Salvador airport is on the far side of the city, roughly 30 kilometres from the historic centre, and the drive in can take well over half an hour in traffic. Guests can ask Via Avantgarde about a private transfer when they book, which saves hunting for the door among the cobbled lanes with luggage. Once here, the old town is best on foot, with a taxi or ride-hail for the beaches further out along the coast.
Who it suits
Couples who want to sleep inside the old city rather than out by the beach hotels, and who like a room with a strong personality. The workspace and the fast connection also make it one of the few places in the historic centre that suits someone who has to work for part of the trip. If you want quiet, a beach outside the door or space for a family, look elsewhere in Salvador.
Good to know
One room, a queen bed and one bathroom; sleeps two. Soaking tub, kitchen, workspace, air-conditioning, self check-in with a smart lock, and a lift in the building. Paid parking off the premises. Via Avantgarde runs three other suites nearby: Vista Elevador & Mar, the Loft Histórico and the Suite Colonial. Booked through Airbnb, linked from Via Avantgarde's own site.
Penthouse Jacuzzi
Amorielli takes no bookings and no commissions. You book on Airbnb, from the property's own site — the people who run it set the dates and the rate.
