(Condé Nast Traveller) You could be forgiven for thinking that this dramatic, industrial-looking hotel in the Paraguayan capital is a Victorian factory conversion. It was, in fact, built from scratch just a few years ago using reclaimed red brick and wood, recycled corrugated iron and custom-made railway tracks.

The historical vibe is enhanced by a tiny museum in the narrow, barrel-vaulted entrance lobby highlighting Paraguay’s industrial heyday, long gone, with sepia family snapshots and antique ceramics collected by a crack team of historians.

There are plenty of handsome places to hang out, including El Puente, a snug on the first floor with leather sofas for morning coffee, and La Biblioteca, where oak bookcases are lined with leather-bound classics, for a nightcap. In El Bistró, the stunning Beaux Arts dining room with a Guastavino-style vaulted ceiling of ivory-coloured tiles, the simple menu focuses on contemporary Guaraní dishes such as grilled pacú, a meaty river fish.

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