Francisca Mattéoli was born in Santiago, Chile, to a Chilean father and Scottish mother. After living in Brazil, she now resides in Paris as a respected travel writer. Her work has been published in magazines such as National Geographic France and Condé Nast Traveller, and her previous books, including Hotel Stories, World Tour and Extraordinary Voyages, have been translated into many languages. Since its grand opening in 1923, Francisca's family has frequented the Copacabana Palace. This is just one of the many reasons that inspired her to work as a writer on this book.