The Rio palace that has seen Ava Gardner, Orson Welles and Brazilian presidents pass through since 1923.
Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Rio de Janeiro
From
609.053 €
“Art deco pool facing Copacabana, the only one in Rio listed as a historic monument.”
The Copacabana Palace has held the corner of Avenida Atlântica and the beach for a century, white colonnaded façade in the style of the great Mediterranean hotels of the 1920s. We sleep in rooms with lacquered woodwork, Hermès fabrics, Carrara marble in the bathrooms, views over the Atlantic or the indoor pool. The pool alone justifies the detour: Klein blue tiling, teak loungers, royal palms, open until 19h. The service remains impeccable, discreet, never obsequious. Two restaurants including the Michelin-starred Mee, Pergula bar for caipirinhas in the late afternoon. From 609 € a night, expect 800 € in high season. We book here to sleep in the living myth of Rio ✨
Who is it for?
Who we recommend it to
We recommend the Copacabana Palace to travellers seeking the living history of Rio, not an anonymous resort. It is a hotel for couples in their forties and older, lovers of classic palaces, dinners in smart attire required, discreet ceremonies. Families find their place here (pool, supervised beach), yet the clientele remains largely adult, often wealthy Brazilian or nostalgic European.
The building
Architecture and interiors
The palace occupies a 1923 building signed Joseph Gire, French architect settled in Rio. Neoclassical style inspired by the Negresco in Nice and the Carlton in Cannes, white six-storey façade, colonnades, bow windows over the ocean. Interiors refurbished in 2016 by the Brazilian studio Anastassiadis: light marbles, crystal chandeliers, hand-woven rugs, 3.20 m ceiling height in the suites. 239 rooms and suites, all different, some with private terrace overlooking the pool.
At the table
Restaurants, bar, service
Two tables at the Copacabana Palace: the Mee, one Michelin star for its pan-Asian cuisine (dim sum, sashimi, wok), and the Pérgula, Mediterranean restaurant open to the pool, grilled lobsters and risottos. Breakfast buffet served until 11:30, freshly pressed juices, tropical fruits, hot pão de queijo. The Copacabana Piano Bar serves classic cocktails until 1am, bossa nova concerts on Friday and Saturday. 24-hour room service, reduced menu after midnight.
Highlights
- 1923 Art deco pool, listed as cultural heritage of Rio
- Mee restaurant: one Michelin star, pan-Asian cuisine by chef Ken Hom
- 750 m² spa with hammam, sauna, Sisley treatment cabins
- Direct access to Copacabana beach, loungers and parasols provided
- Pergula piano bar open until 1am, live concerts at weekends
Location & access
Where the hotel sits in Rio de Janeiro
The palace stands on Avenida Atlântica, Copacabana seafront, between lifeguard posts 5 and 6. Sugarloaf twenty minutes by car, Christ the Redeemer thirty-five minutes. Lively neighbourhood day and night, beach kiosks, street vendors, joggers from 6am. Cardeal Arcoverde metro eight hundred metres away, Santos Dumont airport fifteen minutes, Galeão forty-five minutes. In the evening, Ipanema and Leblon ten minutes by taxi, Lapa restaurants and bars twenty minutes.
Good to know
Before you book
- Pets
- Dogs and cats accepted, 100 BRL / night, basket and bowls provided.
- Pool
- Open from 7am to 7pm, heated water all year, towel service.
- Parking
- Private underground parking, 150 BRL / day, valet included.
- Dress code
- Smart attire required at Mee and Pérgula after 7pm (no shorts or flip-flops).
- Beach
- Direct access, loungers and parasols reserved for guests, drinks service.
- Wi-Fi
- Free throughout the hotel, fibre optic, stable connection.
Facilities
1 pool
Non-smoking rooms
Free Wi-Fi connection
Fitness centre
Parking
Airport shuttle
Beachfront
Room service
Facilities for disabled guests
Restaurant
Wi-Fi available throughout
Private parking
Family rooms
Pets allowed
Location
Where Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Rio de Janeiro is located
Exact address
Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Rio de Janeiro
Address
Avenida Atlantica 1702
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