Palácio Quitandinha

Palácio Quitandinha
Palácio Quitandinha
	Palácio Quitandinha.
General information
Location	Petrópolis, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Coordinates	22°31′38.16″S 43°12′46.01″W / 22.5272667°S 43.2127806°W
Opening	1944
Technical details
Floor count	6
Floor area	50,000 square meters
Design and construction
Architect	Luis Fossatti
Other information
Number of rooms	440
Number of suites	13
Website
	Quitandinha Palace - Petrópolis Foundation of Culture and Tourism

The Palácio Quitandinha (Portuguese for "Quitandinha Palace") is a historic former luxury resort hotel, casino and convention center in Petrópolis, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1947, the Palácio Quitandinha was the site of the Rio Treaty, attended by United States President Harry Truman.

The hotel was, for many years, probably the second most famous hotel of the country, after the Copacabana Palace hotel in Rio de Janeiro, which is only about 65 km from Petrópolis. The scenic artificial lake in front of the hotel, loosely resembling the shape of Brazil, was built as a source of water in the event of a fire.

For the first two years, it was known as the "Cassino Hotel Quitandinha" and was the largest hotel casino in Latin America. However in 1946, it turned into a regular hotel, after gambling was outlawed in Brazil by the federal government that year. As a result, the casino closed after only two years.

Famous guests who stayed at the hotel included Errol Flynn, Orson Welles, Lana Turner, Henry Fonda, Maurice Chevalier, Greta Garbo, Carmen Miranda, Walt Disney, Bing Crosby, politicians like Eva Perón and president Getúlio Vargas of Brazil and king Carol II of Romania.