Rio de Janeiro Hotel Guide
If ever a city were renowned for its beaches, it’s Rio. Even people who know nothing else about Brazil have heard of the famed Copacabana and Ipanema, whose very names conjure up visions of a buzzing, high-energy, high-glamour lifestyle. It’s no wonder, then that so many visitors like to stay as close as possible to the waterfront – which, as luck would have it, is exactly where you’ll find a selection of luxury hotels.
Platinum Cardmembers can book a Fine Hotels + Resorts stay through American Express Travel and receive US$100 Credit1, guaranteed 4pm check-out, complimentary Wi-Fi and breakfast for two.
1Credit use varies by property
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Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Rio de Janeiro
The grande dame of Rio’s hotel scene opened on Copacabana Beach to great fanfare in 1923 and a century later its reputation remains as ritzy as ever. As you’d expect, the interiors at this Art Deco beauty are grand and glamorous and facilities remain top-notch, including a fitness centre, business centre, rooftop tennis court and one of the city’s largest and loveliest pools. There’s also a first-class spa, where many treatments incorporate Brazilian ingredients such as Amazonian clay, açai and guarana. The high-ceilinged bedrooms are individually decorated in a fresh country-house style – think antique furniture, floral curtains, Oriental rugs on polished floors and botanical prints on the walls. For the ultimate indulgence, go for one of the penthouse suites, which have private balconies adorned with tropical plants and include access to the VIP-only Black Pool on the sixth floor. As well as being renowned for its luxurious surroundings and stellar service, the Copa has also evolved into something of a foodie hotspot in recent years. Two of its restaurants - Mee (pan-Asian) and Ristorante Hotel Cipriani (Italian) - hold a Michelin star apiece, and the third, Pérgula, does an excellent weekend brunch.
1702 Avenida Atlântica, Copacabana
Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro
The Fasano has a prime position on Ipanema Beach but one look at its rooftop terrace and you’ll understand why many people forsake the famous sand in favour of hanging out here instead. This chic guests-only area has ocean and mountain views, an all-day bar and a fabulous infinity pool, where you can gaze down on the beach life eight floors below. Like the rest of the hotel, it was designed by Philippe Starck, who took inspiration from Brazilian architecture and design in the 1950s and ’60s Bossa Nova era. His signature flamboyance plays out across the hotel from the ear-shaped mirrors on the walls to a reception counter crafted from an eight-ton fallen pequia tree. It’s balanced by undertones of old-world style introduced by hotel owner Gero Fasano, like the butter-soft leather armchairs and red-brick walls in Baretto-Londra. Facilities include a spa, fitness center and Gero, the Italian restaurant. Bedrooms come with hardwood floors, Sergio Rodrigues chairs and location appropriate flip-flops in place of slippers. Top tip? Splash out on an oceanfront room or suite: beds are positioned to face the window and it’s not every day you wake to a view like that.
80 Avenida Vieira Souto, Ipanema
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Emiliano Rio
Brazilian modernism meets contemporary cool at the beachfront Emiliano Rio, where white shutters perforated with curvy lozenge shapes create a famously distinctive façade. On the inside, natural materials are in abundance, with Brazilian woods, white Parana marble and a spectacular vertical garden in the restaurant, which showcases local flavours and ingredients. All 90 bedrooms are bright, spacious oases of calm above the clatter of Copacabana but to make the most of the location go for a sea-facing room, so you can draw back those shutters and gaze out at the sand curving around the bay, with Copacabana Fort on one side and Sugar Loaf Mountain on the other. The outlook is just as breath-taking up on the rooftop, where the bar serves a mean cocktail and an L-shaped infinity pool runs across the front of the building, glass-walled so that even when you’re swimming underwater nothing blocks the view. The Santapele products in the bathrooms and spa are vegan and cruelty-free and the hotel has some neat ideas on the sustainability front: old sheets and towels are upcycled into pyjamas, tote bags and table mats, which are then sold to guests and the profits ploughed back into local charities.
Avenida Atlantica 3804, Copacabana
Membership Rewards® Programme
Cardmembers enrolled in the American Express Membership Rewards® programme will earn one additional bonus Membership Rewards point in addition to their standard earn rate (for a total of 2 points) for every full £1 spent on flights, prepaid hotels, car hire and experiences booked through the American Express Travel website americanexpress.com/en-gb//travel. Specific Card products or limited time promotions may offer additional Membership Rewards points, please see individual Card or promotion Terms and Conditions for more information. Additional Membership Rewards points cannot be earned on products which are not prepaid but are paid directly to the supplier, including cruise bookings and select hotel bookings. These bookings will not earn two Membership Rewards points for every £1 spent but will be earned at the normal rate of one point for every £1 spent. Full Terms and Conditions apply, please visit americanexpress.co.uk/termsandconditions.
To use Pay with Points, you must book your eligible purchase through American Express Travel and charge to a Membership Rewards programme-enrolled American Express® Card. Eligible purchases through American Express Travel exclude non-prepaid car rentals and non-prepaid hotels. Points will be debited from your Membership Rewards account, and credit for corresponding amount will be issued to the American Express® Card Account used. If points redeemed do not cover entire amount, the balance of purchase price will remain on the American Express Card account. When paying with a combination of your American Express Card and Membership Rewards points, only the value applied to the Card is eligible to earn Membership Rewards points.
Membership Rewards Terms and Conditions apply when booking on americanexpress.com/en-gb/travel/. Please visit visit americanexpress.com/en-gb/rewards/membership-rewards/terms/ for the Membership Rewards programme information and terms and conditions or call +44 0800 917 8053 to request a copy. For more information on Pay With Points visit americanexpress.com/uk/travel/how-to-pay-with-points. To earn or exchange Membership Rewards points, Cards must be registered to the American Express Membership Rewards programme and be active and current in their payments. Please allow up to ten weeks for Membership Rewards points to be credited to your Account. Bookings are subject to the full American Express Travel Terms and Conditions. To view these, please visit americanexpress.co.uk/termsandconditions.
Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) program benefits are available for new bookings made through Platinum Travel & Dining Concierge, Business Platinum Travel & Dining Concierge, the Dedicated Centurion® Team or American Express Travel (americanexpress.com/en-gb/travel/) with participating properties and are valid only for eligible Platinum Cardmembers or Centurion® Members and excludes Platinum Credit Companion Cards. Bookings must be made using an eligible Card and must be paid using that Card, or another American Express® Card, in the eligible Card Member's name, and that Card Member must be traveling on the itinerary booked. The average total value of the program benefits is based on prior-year bookings for stays of two nights; the actual value varies. Noon check-in and room upgrade are subject to availability and are provided at check-in; certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade. The type of US$100 Credit and additional amenity (if applicable) varies by property; the credit will be applied to eligible charges up to the amount of the credit. To receive the credit, the eligible spend must be charged to your hotel room. The credit will be applied at check-out. Advance reservations are recommended for certain credits. The type and value of the daily breakfast (for two) varies by property; breakfast will be valued at a minimum of US$60 per room per day. To receive the breakfast credit, the breakfast bill must be charged to your hotel room. The breakfast credit will be applied at check-out. If the cost of Wi-Fi is included in a mandatory property fee, a daily credit of that amont will be applied at check-out.
Benefits are applied per room, per stay (with a three-room limit per stay).Back-to-back stays booked by a single Card Member, Card Members staying in the same room or Card Members traveling in the same party within a 24-hour period at the same property are considered one stay and are ineligible for additional FHR benefits (“Prohibited Action”). American Express and the property reserve the right to modify or revoke FHR benefits at any time without notice if we or they determine, in our or their sole discretion, that you may have engaged in a Prohibited Action, or have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with your FHR benefits. Benefit restrictions vary by property. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash and are not combinable with other offers unless indicated. Benefits must be used during the stay booked. Any credits applicable are applied at check-out in USD or the local currency equivalent. Benefits, participating properties, and availability and
amenities at those properties are subject to change. To be eligible for FHR program benefits, your eligible Card Account must not be cancelled. For additional information, call the number on the back of your Card.
The Hotel Collection (THC) benefits are available for new bookings of two consecutive nights or more made through American Express Travel (americanexpress.com/en-gb/travel/), Platinum Travel & Dining Concierge, Business Platinum Travel & Dining Concierge or the Dedicated Centurion® Team, with participating properties and are valid only for eligible Preferred Rewards Gold Cardmembers, Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Cardmembers, Platinum Cardmembers or Centurion® Members and excludes Platinum Credit Companion Cardmembers. Bookings must be made using an eligible Card and must be paid using that Card, or another American Express Card, in the eligible Card Member's name, and that Card Member must be traveling on the itinerary booked. Noon check-in, late check-out and the room upgrade are subject to availability; certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade. The type of US$100 credit and additional amenity (if applicable) varies by property; the US$100 credit will be applied to eligible charges up to US$100. To receive the US$100 credit, the eligible spend must be charged to your hotel room. The US$100 credit will be applied at check-out. Advance reservations are recommended for certain credits. Benefit restrictions vary by property. Benefits are applied per room, per stay (with a three-room limit per stay). Back-to-back stays booked by a single Card Member, Card Members staying in the same room or Card Members traveling in the same party within a 24-hour period at the same property are considered one stay and are ineligible for additional THC benefits (“Prohibited Action”). American Express and the Property reserve the right to modify or revoke the THC benefits at any time without notice if we or they determine, in our or their sole discretion, that you have engaged in a Prohibited Action, or have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with your THC benefits. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash and are not combinable with other offers unless indicated. Benefits must be used during the stay booked. Any credits applicable are applied at check-out in US Dollars or the local currency equivalent. Benefits, participating properties, and availability and amenities at those properties are subject to change. To be eligible for THC program benefits, your eligible Card Account must not be cancelled. For additional information, call the number on the back of your Card.
International Airline Program (IAP)
1. Current International Airline Program Partners: Air Europa, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta, Etihad Airways, Emirates Airlines, Iberia, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.
2. American Express reserves the rights to change these conditions from time to time with 21 days prior notice and/or to discontinue the whole program.
3. Airlines reserve the right to change, cancel or restrict flight operations without notice. IAP upgrades or specially negotiated fares may be limited by airlines to certain flights and/or dates (“blackouts”). IAP is subject to the terms and conditions of each participating carrier. American Express does not guarantee that seats or tickets will be available. Cabins of service and discounts vary by airline and route. Discounts are applicable to adult fares however some airlines extend savings to child fares.
4. To qualify for the IAP upgrades or specially negotiated fares:
a) Your journey must start and end at the same port as designated by the participating airline and be completed within the period during which your selected carrier participates in the program. You will be advised of any applicable dates at the time of booking;
b) IAP tickets must be purchased through the Platinum Travel Service and must be charged to a valid American Express Platinum Card which is in good standing;
c) The Platinum Cardmember who purchases the ticket(s) must be one of the travellers;
d) IAP tickets are non-transferable and non endorsable.
5. Any travel on non-participating airlines must be ticketed and paid for separately and is not part of the IAP. Certain code share or flights on the worldwide partners of the participating airlines may not apply.
6. Certain IAP airlines or non-participating airlines impose restrictions such as ticketing time limit on advance booking to indicate a timeline for ticketing upon making your reservations. For each individual airline Terms & Conditions, please check with the Platinum Travel Service for details.
7. IAP upgrade offers or specially negotiated fares may not be combined with any other promotion, discount, negotiated or corporate rate.
8. American Express acts only as an agent for travel service providers and does not own or operate any airline or means of transportation. American Express is not liable for service deficiencies on the part of airlines or other service providers, including but not limited to: accidents and injuries; delays; changes in routes or itineraries; loss, theft or damages to possessions. American Express strongly advises travellers to insure themselves against travel risks. Travellers are responsible for ensuring that they have valid documentation and for complying with the health, customs, currency and other laws of any country they enter or attempt to enter.
9. IAP is available to Platinum Cardmembers from a variety of participating airlines each with specifically designated ports of departure and arrival. Please refer to the Platinum Travel Service for details of participating airlines, applicable routing and timetables and fares in force at any particular time.
10. Other International Airline Program Terms & Conditions may apply.
For full Terms and Conditions for Global Lounge Collection®, please visit our Global Lounge page.
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