News Hollywood stars, royalty, presidents, not to mention medal-winning athletes basking in their triumphs: Rio de Janeiro is gearing up to be celebrity ground zero from 5 to 21 August, when the world's A-list descends on the city for the 2016 Olympic Games The glamorous Brazilian city has long been a favourite haunt for stars of stage and screen With its world-famous beaches, tropical climate, stylish hotels and dedication to partying, it is hard to go out in Rio in peak season without spotting an international celebrity or two During August, there will be a new attraction for the jet-set; the hospitality houses which embassies are opening across Rio to showcase the best of their home countries Set in some of the city's most exclusive locations, parties at these houses will be the hottest tickets in town next month While some of the hospitality houses are open to the general public, others will require pre-registration on the guest list and/or payment of an entrance fee A select few, such as the legendary USA House, will be strictly invitation only Gourmet hot dogs USA House will be located in one of Rio's swankiest neighbourhoods; Ipanema, immortalised in song by Tom Jobim   At an exclusive private school that looks over world-famous Ipanema beach, the stars and stripes are already going into place to welcome Uncle Sam and his followers "We expect to receive celebrities, and they will mingle with everyone else in the house," says Peter Zeytoonjian, marketing director at the USA Olympic committee "We love the view here " A company from São Paulo will be supplying visitors to the house with gourmet hot dogs and hamburgers so that guests can enjoy a taste of home while they watch Olympic events on big screens  Those who aren't on the guest list at USA House won't be able to join the athletes and the stars for the partying, but they will have access to a store with exclusive products from Team USA, including clothes and kicks from Ralph Lauren, Nike and other top brands Artist's impression of the USA House in Ipanema The hospitality houses are also the perfect location for business networking and public relations At USA House, the bid team for Los Angeles 2024 will be showing 3D images of the venues being proposed by the candidate city Party time When it comes to partying, the most popular house at Olympic time is traditionally the Dutch house, which this year in Rio will be located near Rio's iconic Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas During Rio 2016, the French might be giving the Dutch a run for their money; Club France, at the nearby horse racing course, will give guests the chance to take their pick from a series of gourmet food trucks with the best of French cuisine On eight nights, French DJs will be performing for a giant dancefloor with capacity for up to 2,000 people   Artist's impression of Jamaica House at the horse racing ground For a party with a Caribbean flavour, it will be hard to do better than Jamaica House Also located at the horse racing ground, the Jamaicans will be supplying popular products from their island such as world-famous rum and beer brands DJs playing mento, ska, reggae and dancehall will ensure a raucous Caribbean atmosphere until 3am As well as big screens for watching Jamaica's track and field heros, there will be live concerts, including a show by Kymani Marley, son of reggae legend Bob All of this comes at a price; tickets to Jamaica House will cost 85 reais (US$26) and will be available on the country's official tourism organisation Stunning locations When it comes to location, Great Britain and Italy have snapped up two of the most spectacular properties in town for their hospitality houses The British are taking over stunning Parque Lage from 5 to 21 August Landscaped by countryman John Tyndale in 1840, the grounds and buildings of this English-style park just below Christ the Redeemer have often starred in music videos and fashion shoots Two gala parties here on 12 and 13 August will celebrate medal-winning performances by British athletes There will also be a strong cultural programme, including talks by explorers and theatre directors Anyone wanting to visit must register on the site to receive an invitation   "We want to make British House a home away from home for our athletes A place to celebrate their success, connect with their loved ones and experience the vibrant Brazilian culture in a warm and welcoming environment," says Alex Ellis, the UK ambassador to Brazil  Royalty are expected to show up and mingle with Olympians and other commoners at the house   On the road to Barra, the Italians have chosen the exclusive Costa Brava beach club for their hospitality house, with spectacular views over the Atlantic Ocean and a near-private beach Only open to those on the guest list, the house will offer visitors the very best of Italian and Brazilian cuisine, as well as world-famous fashion brands such as Armani There will also be presentations from the Rome 2024 candidate city team   During the Paralympic Games, the Italian house will move to Barra da Tijuca  The British House will relocate to the Shopping Metropolitano mall, also in Barra For the young at heart  Santa Claus will be coming to the Olympic Games for the first time at Finland House There's more to the hospitality houses in Rio than VIP access and hedonism At the Finnish house, the main celebrity will be none other than Father Christmas Located at the Casa França Brasil space in central Rio, this will be Santa's first visit to an an Olympic Games The Hungarians, another of the nationalities to opt for the horse racing ground for their house, are organising a space for visitors to experiment with famous national inventions, such as the Rubik's Cube Guests will also be able to sample 16 types of mineral water from the country at a so-called Aqua Bar Access to the house will be free to the first 100 people who arrive between 3pm and 5pm Artist's impression of Hungary House Guest list only A number of other countries have decided to restrict access to their hospitality houses only to guests, athletes and officials  Even so, the Canadians expect to receive about 20,000 visitors at their house in the up-market neighbourhood of Leblon The venue will be double the size of the house they organised for London 2012   Neighbours Slovakia (in Barra da Tijuca) and Poland (in Cosme Velho near Christ the Redeemer) will also offer their food and drink, traditional music and an authentic East European atmosphere to invited guests only At the horse racing track, the Chinese house will include an exhibition about the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics but the venue will not be open to visitors Artist's impression of the Chinese house