Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Rio de Janeiro — Hotel in Região Geográfica Imediata do Rio de Janeiro

The Copacabana Palace Hotel feels like a home for us (my wife has been coming to the hotel since 20 years). We travel a lot and have stayed in some of the best hotels in the world. Just to have an idea how much we treasure the hotel - the Copacabana Palace is the only hotel that we spend the whole time in the hotel (we don’t do any sightseeing at all). It is really a relaxing vacation.

The rooms are are beautiful, comfortable, well decorated and very clean. The pool is huge.

Eduardo, the bellhop is very attentive, discreet, friendly and helpful.

Restaurant: Pimentel - calm, very friendly and respectful. Wellington - very kind and good in preparing the breakfast food orders.

Ricardo Lins, Luiz Filipe, Leonardo, Diego Caetano & Clebes: They are very friendly, respectful and offer a great great service. What outstanding their ability is everyday to transmit an incredible positive energy through their smiles and friendly way full of life. And I mean no matter how crowded the restaurant is.

Rogerio - very polite and does a great job.

Cida - although she was never in charge of our table. Cida always greeted and tried to assist us when she notices we were looking for something.

Santos, Pedro & Francisco: Francisco - he is very attentive and has a good memory. Although we didn’t mentioned my wife food’s allergy one night, he took my wife’s allergy into consideration another day in a very precise way.

Waiters from the evening: Raphael & Felipe - besides that both speak good English, they are highly attentive. They look the surroundings to see what the guests need when the food is served, like offer an extra plate or if we need another bottle of water. Felipe has a fine elegance and speaks a very good English for someone who just started.

Hostesses Leticia, Jessica & Larissa - they are all good with what they do. Jessica stands out with her elegance, she has the skills to be manager.

Pool: Rogério, Pedro & Jean. Rogerio and Pedro are very attentive, discreet and helpful as the years we know them. They have eyes everywhere when the pool is crowded and they try to make everyone happy. A pool without Rogerio and Pedro would be strange. We would say they belong to the hotel inventory. Jean as a “novice” at the hotel showed his respectful, friendly and careful way that he fits to the life saver team.

Pool Service: Yan Thiago Bruno Fabio Marcello They are all very good in what they do. Especially Yan, he also had a good memory regarding my wife food’s allergy. Vinicius in training - very very attentive person. He saw that our soda was in the sun and moved it to the shadow.

Pedro: we still remember when he started to work at the hotel. Already in the beginning, he was very good. His is very competent in his position and every time we see his path in a such exceptional way. He is in the right position and has the potential to grow even more.

Overall great attitude and service of the team that shows not only how good Pedro is to coordinate everyone, but it also reflects the excellent job that Nicolas Gudme does. No matter what time of day it is, he always makes sure that everything is going well with his guests.

All this reflects the excellent work and effort from the general manager Ulisses Marreiros.

Looking forward to...

Rounded up from 4.5

Good: It is a very good hotel - the things I pick out below are nitpicking which wouldn't apply if it weren't so expensive. The best things of an overall very good experience were: Front desk and concierge service is incredibly good - probably the best I've ever experienced and nothing is any trouble for them Pool is really beautiful day and night and kept at a perfect temperature Hotel is beautiful and well located Housekeeping is absolutely top notch Rooms are surprisingly spacious and the beds are the most comfortable hotel beds I've ever slept on Gym is surprisingly well-equipped The general atmosphere is great - chilled out, friendly and safe

Average: Poolside service is a bit limited. We sat poolside three times and never got great service. On one occasion we ended up going to the restaurant service desk to ask for drinks and were told someone would be with us soon - took another ten minutes for someone to come, then another ten minutes to bring a soft drink and a cocktail, and the soft drink was wrong. Not the end of the world but at these prices (BRL90 plus tip for those drinks) it's fair to expect better.

There's a fair amount of quiet upselling - for example, if you order bottled water and don't specify what kind, expect to be brought the most expensive (rather than the complimentary water which you might expect to be the default). I don't mind that too much but it would be better if the person taking the order clarified first. On a similar note, the hotel's airport transfers are insanely expensive - the airport taxis are a bit of a ripoff and they're 1/3 the price. I would just take an Uber or a taxi instead. (For comparison: airport transfer was BRL465; airport taxi was BRL130; metered taxi was BRL90; Uber was BRL75.)

Some room fixtures need some TLC. Eg in 319 the balcony door doesn't close properly; in 419 the shower bidet attachment is coming off the wall. No big problems, it just needs a bit of maintenance attention in the low season.

Bad: We stayed both here and at Belmond Hotel des Cataratas in Iguasu. When booking we were advised of the hotels' "Gran Tour Brasil" offering which comes at a higher packaged price with a few perks. The main reason we opted for the package is it gives 20% off food and soft drinks at hotel bars and restaurants, and we thought it would be easier to eat in on a few nights. However, every single time we ordered something, the bill came without the discount included. It's not a massive issue but it gets very annoying to try and explain through broken Portuguese and end up having to go to front desk each time. It should just be applied automatically, or at least staff should be briefed on what it is and how it works (since most of them seemed totally oblivious to it). If another hotel offered the same service and we heard they could actually implement it, we'd stay there instead.

We got a "wake up call" at 0850 both days of our second stay despite not ordering one and asking for it to be cancelled. Given we arrived at 0100, this would have been an insanely annoying mistake if the call had been set at 0600...

My wife, Dr. E. Ripp, and I recently had the pleasure of celebrating our honeymoon at the iconic Copacabana Palace, and it was nothing short of extraordinary. As seasoned travelers accustomed to luxury accommodations, we were profoundly impressed by the exceptional service and enchanting atmosphere of this renowned establishment.

From the moment we arrived on February 17th, we were enveloped in warmth and attention that one would expect from a five-star hotel. The Copacabana Palace, a storied haven for celebrities and royalty, has an illustrious history that adds to its timeless allure. The elegance of this hotel beautifully intertwines with the vibrant Carioca lifestyle, making it a captivating destination that has stood the test of time.

Under the exemplary leadership of General Manager Ulisses Marreiros, the staff at Copacabana Palace went above and beyond to ensure our stay exceeded all expectations. Our suite was a sanctuary of comfort, meticulously designed to cater to our every need. However, it was the outstanding performance of the Brand Ambassadors that truly set our experience apart. Each member of the team, from the Front Desk to the Concierge and Spa, exemplified the highest standards of service, making every moment feel special.

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the following individuals who left a lasting impression on us:

Ingrid Souza, Guest Services Leonardo Mota, Front Desk Gustavo Klatt, Front Desk Clara Carvalho, Front Desk Leader Mathias do Valle, Concierge Ulrich, Concierge Seixas, Pergola Server Isadora Siqueira, Pergola Server Lima, Cipriani Server Rosemary, Spa

Their genuine kindness, attention to detail, and commitment to excellence made us feel like film stars during our stay. This exemplary service reflects the values upheld by the LVMH Group and its commitment to providing unparalleled luxury experiences.

I felt it essential to share this remarkable experience, as it not only highlights the dedication of the team at Copacabana Palace but also the legacy of excellence that LVMH represents. Thank you for fostering such a remarkable culture within your organization.

If you’re seeking a luxurious retreat in Rio de Janeiro, look no further than the Copacabana Palace. It is truly an experience that will stay with you long...