The Belmond Copacabana Palace Hotel

The landmark French Riviera-style palace dates back to 1923, with a modern, all-suite annex that overlooks one of the world's most famous stretches of sand, the 2.5-mile Copacabana Beach. (Prefer city views? They boast some of the best in Rio.) Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire once graced the halls of this 216-room Art Deco grande dame. Now, the likes of Elton John and Madonna can be found lounging by the stately semi-Olympic pool. And whether you're in the mood for a clubby piano bar or a Michelin-starred meal (pan-Asian Mee is one of the first in South America to earn one), you needn't even leave the premises.