Copacabana Palace
Avenida Atlantica 1702, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro
The Story
Opened in 1923 overlooking Copacabana Beach, this Belmond property has been Rio's most famous address for a century and remains the most celebrated hotel in South America. It is the natural setting for any film involving romance, intrigue, and tropical grandeur, and it has kept its original 1920s character while quietly adding modern comforts. The hotel's art deco pool is one of the most photographed in the world, and the view from the sea-facing rooms, across Copacabana Beach to Sugarloaf Mountain, is one of the great hotel views anywhere.
The balcony kiss in Notorious
The Copacabana Palace is where Hitchcock set one of the most famous moments in Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman's careers: the censor-defying, 60-second screen kiss in Notorious (1946), played out on a hotel balcony overlooking Copacabana Beach. While most of the film's action was shot on RKO sound stages, the establishing shots of Rio and that balcony scene make the Copacabana Palace forever part of the picture. It's still there, still grand, and still the place to stay if you want to channel Grant and Bergman.
" The setting for the balcony kiss in Notorious (1946), and the art deco pool.
Glamour and self-reinvention
The hotel also captures the spirit of Now Voyager (1942), Bette Davis's great tale of glamorous self-reinvention, whose love story plays out on the streets of Rio and around Sugarloaf Mountain. The kind of old-world grandeur on offer here is exactly what the Boston-bound heroine would have adored. Ava Gardner stayed while promoting The Barefoot Contessa during a 1950s publicity tour of South America. Orson Welles, Marlene Dietrich, and Princess Diana have all stayed too. The hotel's New Year's Eve gala remains one of Rio's most exclusive events.
Signature Experiences
The art deco pool
The hotel's swimming pool is one of the most photographed in the world, and a fixture of its 1920s art deco character.
Sea-facing rooms
The view from the sea-facing rooms, across Copacabana Beach to Sugarloaf Mountain, is one of the great hotel views anywhere.
New Year's Eve gala
The hotel's New Year's Eve gala is one of Rio's most exclusive events.
Famous Connections
Who Came Here
As Seen In
Plan Your Visit
Good to Know
- How to Book: Book direct at belmond.com or by phone. Sea-facing rooms command a premium but deliver the great Copacabana Beach and Sugarloaf view.
- Best Time: Open year-round. The view across Copacabana Beach to Sugarloaf Mountain is the main event from the sea-facing rooms.
- Accessibility: Contact the hotel directly to confirm access requirements.
- Tip: For the less extravagant, Copacabana Beach itself is free, and the views up to Sugarloaf Mountain that feature in the Notorious establishing shots are just as spectacular today. A cable car ride to the top of Sugarloaf from Praia Vermelha costs around $25 return and is worth every centavo.
