Travellers' checks

Sports fans willing to endure the long haul over to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the 2014 World Cup or 2016 Olympics will need a good hotel in which to recover on arrival, and there's none better than the Copacabana Palace (left). The property, which opened in 1923, was designed by French architect Joseph Gire, who was supposedly inspired by a couple of the Cote d'Azur's finest hotels - namely the Carlton in Cannes and the Negresco in Nice. The place almost went lobby-up in the 1960s when Brasilia became the new Brazilian capital and consular expense accounts headed inland, and it was almost demolished in the 80s, before being taken over and renovated by Orient-Express Hotels. It's currently undergoing another, six-month renovation, and will reopen this November. Rooms are available for summer 2014, but you'll need to get your reservations in early at www.copacabanapalace.com in order to secure a good room for the World Cup. Emirates flies from Hong Kong to Rio via Dubai.

The Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok (left) has been getting very good reviews since it opened two years ago, and its second anniversary promotion looks like a good excuse to give the place a try. The deal is that for every two nights you stay in September, you'll get a third free. Room rates start from 7,900 baht (HK$1,900) a night, but the tax and service charge will top that up to 9,243 baht. For reservations, go to www.kempinski.com/en/bangkok