Rio de Janeiro
Brazil


The Experience

As iconic as the swirling mosaic promenade of Rio's most famous beach, on which it stands, this gorgeous white stucco building's storied guest list reads like a mid-20th-century Hollywood who's who: Errol Flynn, Bing Crosby, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Orson Welles, Carmen Miranda and Jayne Mansfield were only a few of its devotees. And the hotel still keeps a "Golden Book" for luminaries to sign. But celebrities alone don't make a hotel. The Copa fell into disrepair in the 1970s and was restored in the late '80s, but upkeep waxes and wanes (sofas and linens have looked a bit lovingly worn at times in the past). Now the Copa is on an upswing, fresh off a Rolling Stones concert outside its doors and about to open a new spa in December 2006.

The Rooms

Guest rooms are as comfortable as one would expect, with marble baths, classic-if-a-bit-bland furnishings, plush rugs and supersoft Troussardi bed linens. Stay away from the Superior rooms, which face the rear, and grab a front-facing beachview room; the decor may not be any different, but what's outside is. Still, even in these, the windows aren't very large, and none has a balcony. Go for a very worthwhile upgrade to the oceanview pool suites, with 750 square feet of space and a good-size balcony. Here you can take in the grandstand sights and sounds of the continuous Copa soccer games and bikini-clad romping, as well as overlook the happening pool scene.

The Service

This being such a famous address, it's no surprise that there's little turnover in the staff. Some staff members seem as antique as the hotel itself, but with virtually no notice, they can conjure private cars to take you to the city's sights. Have an obscure question about the hotel's history? Chances are they'll know the answer.

The Highlights

You won't get a taste of traditional Brazilian cuisine at the hotel's Cipriani Restaurant, but you will have the very surreal feeling that you've been transported directly to its famous sister restaurant in Venice. According to chef Franceso Carli (who hails from the venerable Venetian institution), the northern Italian dishes he serves at the Brazilian outpost, such as pumpkin risotto with rosemary, are identical to the original. Though you'll want to stroll the famous promenade and venture to the beach, you can also watch the scene with afternoon tea or a cocktail during the summer months (May to September) under the broad white umbrellas at the poolside Pergula Restaurant, where you'll also want to keep an eye out for the inevitable celebrities.

-- Andrea Bennett

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