The Copacabana Palace opened in 1923 on Avenida Atlântica, the beachfront road of Copacabana, and its white neoclassical facade is one of the best-known buildings in Rio. Rooms and suites are in the main building and a newer tower behind it, many with ocean views. The large pool is the center of the hotel, and the hotel sets up chairs and service on the beach across the road.
The hotel has several restaurants, including Italian at Cipriani, and a spa. From here you can walk the promenade to Ipanema, take the cable car up Sugarloaf, see Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado, and spend time in the botanical garden and the neighborhoods of Santa Teresa and Leblon. For New Year's Eve, the hotel looks straight out at the fireworks.
The Copacabana Palace suits first-time visitors, couples and families who want a classic city hotel with a beach in front. It is a big, busy hotel, and Copacabana is a lively city beach, not a quiet one, so the usual city care with valuables applies. Rates and minimum stays rise sharply at New Year and Carnival.
Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel, has faced Copacabana Beach since 1923, and it is still the grand hotel of Rio de Janeiro. Its white facade, large pool and beach service make it the classic base for a first trip to the city.
We were in Rio to visit family and picked the Copacabana Palace over the Emiliano and the Fasano. We were staying at several Belmond hotels on the trip and wanted to compare, the others were sold out, and I'm a sucker for a heritage hotel. Our room wasn't ready at noon, so I waited a couple of hours by the pool while staff found me outlets and quiet spots for calls. Then came an upgrade to an ocean-view suite with a handwritten note and a bottle of sparkling rosé.
It's one of the best hotels I've ever stayed at. The service and the bed are dialed in. The suite was huge, with very high ceilings and windows that open fully to the ocean breeze. The shower is small for tall people, but the drain just inside the glass door keeps the floor dry, and whoever designed that deserves an award. I never saw housekeeping, yet the room was always perfect, and the breakfast mangoes were the best I've had.
Tell us what you have in mind and we will build a trip around this stay.
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