Since its opening day on August 13, 1923, world-renowned stars, heads of state, and monarchs have visited its sumptuous halls, luxurious suites, and the famous balcony with an impressive view of Rio’s most iconic beach.
“The Copacabana Palace is more than a hotel, it’s an institution,” declared its general manager, Ulisses Marreiros, to AFP.
Josephine Baker, Bob Marley, Freddy Mercury, Madonna, Gal Costa, João Gilberto, Ayrton Senna, Walt Disney, Robert De Niro, Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth II: their faces are displayed in a portrait gallery, the ‘Hall of Fame,’ redesigned for the centenary.
Some of the photographs were taken at the hotel, like Brigitte Bardot leaning on the balcony or Antonio Banderas balancing on the pool’s edge.
It was in this pool that Janis Joplin swam naked in 1970, which led to her expulsion from the hotel, according to the press of the time. Decades earlier, Orson Welles nearly hit some bathers by throwing a typewriter out the window on an uninspired day.
The guestbook is a true relic. White gloves are required to flip through the pages, filled with famous signatures, like that of the “King” Pelé, who drew a ball entering the goal.
The guestbook was specially opened for AFP in one of the most prestigious rooms: a suite over 100 m² on the sixth floor, with a sea view even from the bathroom.
Gem of high society
At the end of the Hall of Fame, where the portrait gallery is displayed, there is a large photograph of the hotel taken just after its construction.
The contrast with the current landscape is surprising. The building seems almost isolated, surrounded by a vast expanse of sand, with only a few two or three-story houses along the shoreline.
It’s nothing like the row of buildings – including other luxury hotels – that now continuously rise along Copacabana Beach, one of the world’s most famous.
Designed by French architect Joseph Gire, the Copacabana Palace was inspired by iconic hotels built in the early 20th century on the French Riviera, like the Negresco in Nice and the Carlton in Cannes.
It was meant to be inaugurated in 1922, on the centenary of Brazil’s Independence, but several technical difficulties delayed the construction by a year.
However, this didn’t diminish the enthusiasm of Octávio Guinle, the hotel’s founder, whose family continued to manage the establishment until 1989 when it was acquired by the Orient-Express group, before becoming part of the French LVMH conglomerate in 2018.
A view of the Hall of Fame of the Belmond Copacabana Palace Hotel shows a portrait of late South African President Nelson Mandela during a visit to the hotel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, taken on August 4, 2023. The internationally famous hotel is celebrating 100 years of foundation on August 13. (Photo by MAURO PIMENTEL / AFP)
This Brazilian high society entrepreneur turned the Copacabana Palace into a must-visit spot, attracting artists like Edith Piaf, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra to perform in its legendary Golden Room.
When Rio was still the Brazilian capital before being transferred to Brasília in 1960, the hotel was also frequented by the local political elite, like President Washington Luís, who in 1928 was shot by his lover in one of the hotel’s rooms.
Injured, he was discreetly taken to the hospital. The Presidential press office later declared that he had suffered from appendicitis.
Local flavors
“It was a space for political meetings, artistic experimentation, and the launching of new talents… Translating a charming reality of Brazil,” explains historian Thiago Gomide to AFP, the author of short videos that are successful on the Tá Na História (@tanahistoria) Instagram profile.
Prince Albert II of Monaco surrendered to its charms. “When he comes here, he hugs me, shakes my hand, jokes,” confesses Antonio Francisco dos Santos, who has worked at the Copacabana Palace for 28 years.
“He likes to swim and then eat fruits from here. He loves açaí, one after the other, and mango too,” shares this assistant manager of the Pérgula restaurant, where a hearty breakfast with local flavors is served.
The pool has just been renovated, with pale green umbrellas and lounge chairs covered in tropical-patterned cushions. The facade has also been repainted with a pearly white tone, just like it was a hundred years ago.
“We’ve brought it as close as possible to what the hotel was in 1923, adding cutting-edge technology. The new lighting will further enhance the beauty of the building,” explains Ulisses Marreiros, whose motto is “honor the past and inspire the future.”
