What it is

A 239-room 1923 landmark on Copacabana beach with Michelin-starred dining.

What it isn't

Dull. None other than Marlene Dietrich and Orson Welles stayed here, and you’re sure that if these walls could talk, your jaw would hit the floor.

What we think

You could be forgiven for not wanting to leave your room at the Copacabana. Each one is an only-in-Brazil retreat of Brazilian freijo or mahogany furniture, pink and white Brazilian marble, and original art. But this is the nation’s most storied hotel for a reason, so it’s important to make a few of your own memories...after you sip on something frothy along with an Italian sorbet from your daybed by the hotel’s half-Olympic-sized pool, that is. Book ahead for a table at MEE, but don’t miss rubbing elbows with Rio’s top brass at the Copacabana Piano Bar, where a live pianist tinkles the ivories until the wee hours.

You're here because

The hotel organizes unlikely tours across the region, including a historic walking tour that will take you through the centuries at sites like the Neoclassical, 1926 Tiradentes Palace and even Carmen Miranda’s first home.

The Moment

The second you step foot into MEE—the hotel’s pan-Asian restaurant and the only in Rio to wield a Michelin Star—you get all the ballyhoo. This is anything but Asian as usual. On your menu tonight? Scallops with yam cream and coriander pesto; chargrilled langoustine with mujol roe; and Wagyu rib dumplings and Japanese squash puree. In other words, nirvana.

Restaurants & Bars

Hotel Cipriani Resturant - Northern Italian specialties, award-winning Chef Luca Orini

MEE - Pan-Asian, Michelin Star awarded - celebrity chef Ken Hom and led by Executive Chef Kazuo Harada

Pérgula Restaurant - Traditional Brazilian and international cuisine, chef Filipe Rizzato

Copacabana Piano Bar - An old-world piano bar with traditional white-glove service, this is an elegant spot for a lunchtime or evening gathering for signature cocktails, fine wines and mingling over an aperitif. This sophisticated, historic piano bar has hosted the world's A-list for almost 90 years.

Location

Smack dab on Rio’s infamous Copacabana beach, but just a fourteen minute drive from Rio de Janeiro Airport.