The famed Casino Rooms in the Copacabana Palace will reopen in March 2006 following a US$4 million renovation…
The famed Casino Rooms in the Copacabana Palace will reopen in March 2006 following a US$4 million renovation, adding more than 11,000 square feet of function space. The interior design of the rooms will echo their individuality and heritage: The columned Palm Room will have a tropical atmosphere, and in the Crystal Room, light will be reflected in cascading crystal chandeliers.
We have worked for two years with the listed building authorities in Rio to conclude a plan that allows us to reopen this area which has been closed for many years, said Philip Carruthers, General Manager of the Copacabana Palace. With the designs now agreed we are moving ahead to restore these magnificent rooms.
Simon Sherwood, President of Orient-Express Hotels commented: This is excellent news. The Copacabana Palace Hotel is one of the highest earning hotels in the group and is set to have an outstanding year with year-to-date RevPAR up 35%, well in excess of the 12% growth seen in Rio as a whole. It is another example of how a special experience can drive rate growth and occupancy much faster than one might expect from broad market measures. I want to thank the hotel team and the local authorities for persevering through the permitting process that will make the hotel even more special.
The Copacabana Casino had its heyday from the mid-1930s until a law was passed outlawing gambling in April 1946. Millions were won and lost while a cast of Rio`s most exuberant, elegant and glamorous characters played the tables to a backdrop of two orchestras and 12 chorus girls. It was here in 1939 that American impresario Lee Schubert first watched a show starring an as yet undiscovered Carmen Miranda and the hotel played host to Hollywood luminaries such as Errol Flynn, Bing Crosby and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. After the tables were removed, the party continued with dances lead by some of the world`s best imported bands, such as Simon Boutman and his band, who played foxtrots in the rooms every evening for over 12 years.
The new function rooms will increase the hotel`s conference and banqueting space by more than 60 percent. The works should not create any significant disruption to guests, as the rooms are located in an isolated area toward the rear of the property.
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