AccorHotels, a leader in travel, lifestyle and digital innovations, announces the transformation of Sofitel Copacabana into the first hotel with the Fairmont flag in South America. The renovation begins this month and is expected to finish in 14 months.
"It is an honor to inaugurate the region's first Fairmont in Brazil. Located in one of Rio de Janeiro's prime spots, the hotel will certainly bring even more visibility to the city, attracting tourists from all over the world," said Patrick Mendes, CEO of AccorHotels South America.
The Fairmont brand has a special connection with the essence of the destination where it is present. It celebrates this local connection through design, gastronomy and trendsetting, becoming a landmark in the city, such as The Savoy in London and The Plaza in New York. In Copacabana, the new Fairmont will reflect the "carioca" soul in its surroundings. The hotel's 400 rooms will be fully renovated, in addition to an 800-seat convention hall. The complete renovation will also feature a new pool area with private lounges that overlooks Copacabana Beach. The new luxury spa will have a private VIP suite, as well as individual and couples cabins.
The Fairmont project in Copacabana will be carried out by the prestigious architect Patricia Anastassiadis and will prioritize spaces with design that provide well-being, comfort and perception of exclusivity. For 20 years in the market, the office has experience in corporate ventures, among them, hoteliers, with a total of 22 hotel projects. In 2016, Patricia won the Corporate Architecture Award in the Interior Hospitality category.
Altogether, there are over 70 Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in the world across 22 countries. For 132 years, several Fairmont properties have been stages to historical moments such as the meeting among Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and William Lyon Mackenzie in 1943 at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Quebec, and the famous peaceful protest against war and for peace made by John Lennon and Yoko Ono at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in 1969 in Montreal.
Between 2012 and 2016, AccorHotels inaugurated 25 hotels in Rio de Janeiro, bringing the number of Group hotels in the city from eight to 32. In Brazil, the company follows the same pace of growth. Of the 289 hotels in operation in South America, 252 are in the country; by 2020 the goal is to reach 500 hotels in the region.
While the Copacabana border is being prepared to receive the first Fairmont in South America, Ipanema will be presented with another novelty. After the investment of R$30 million (USD $9,705,212) for the refurbishment of the iconic Ceasar Park Rio de Janeiro Ipanema – managed by Sofitel for the World Cup and for the Olympic Games, the hotel will be transformed into Sofitel Ipanema with upgrades in the lobby, lounge, apartments and suites, restaurant, SPA and rooftop overlooking the beach of Ipanema.
"This transformation is part of AccorHotels ambitious project to make Sofitel Ipanema one of the best luxury hotels in Rio and in Brazil. With new design and furniture, following the concept of 'Carioca's House', the rooms and suites have been decorated with pieces from famous Brazilian designers like Sérgio Rodrigues and Jader Almeida," explains Mendes.
Two other Brazilian openings confirmed the importance of the region to AccorHotels. Last year, MamaShelter and MGallery by Sofitel opened their first hotels in South America in Rio de Janeiro.
"We want to be the first luxury player in the hotel market through the experience that goes from design to gastronomy. Rio de Janeiro is the second city with the highest number of hotels operating in the network and has great potential for business and leisure tourism," concludes Mendes.
