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Some time ago I visited Sao Paulo on a crazy itinerary that saw me spend as many nights on American Airlines aircraft as I did in Sao Paulo (I earned a lot of miles and elite qualifying miles on that trip!) but, rather annoyingly, the flash drive on which I stored all my pictures became corrupted and so I haven’t been able to publish any reviews…until now.
I’ve finally managed to recover my files from the Sao Paulo trip so I thought I’d share the pictures I took of the Grand Hyatt and add add my thoughts on teh service and the property.
What You Need To Know
- I visited the Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo as a top-tier Hyatt Diamond status holder
- I booked a “standard” room at a an Advanced Purchase rate of $158.40 per night
- I used one of my expiring Diamond upgrade certificates to confirm a “Grand Suite” at the time of booking.
The Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
The lobby of the Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo is modern and huge….
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
….and you only really get a good idea of how large it is when you view it from a few floors up:
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
Check-in was polite and very efficient and, although the 4pm late check-out option that’s afforded to Hyatt’s top-tier elites wasn’t mentioned, I confirmed that it was already on the system when I checked back later in the day.
The front desk agent mentioned that I had the choice of taking breakfast in the lounge (“Grand Club”) on the 20th floor (of 22) or the property’s main restaurant on the ground floor.
Whoever designed the interior of the Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo was clearly a fan of wood as there is a lot of it wherever you turn.
It starts in the elevator lobbies….
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
…continues in the hallways leading to the rooms…..
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
…and, as you’ll see momentarily, also continues into the rooms.
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo – Grand Suite
I was assigned a corner suite on the 21st floor of the property and it was a very good size.
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
See what I mean about the amount of wood?!
As you walk into the suite the sitting area lies directly ahead of you and a doorway to the left leads to a cut-through to the bedroom and the entrance to the bathroom.
There’s definitely no lack of furniture in the suite as this area alone offers a sofa, two armchairs and a desk:
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
Next to the desk the suite comes with a Nespresso coffee machine with complimentary coffee (which was great for morning espresso to get the day started).
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
The suite’s minibar is hidden away in the cabinet you can see in the image above and looks like most other minibars I’ve come across:
A doorway leads from the sitting area to the bedroom:
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
The bedroom features a pair of armchairs…..
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
….and a kind-size bed which, because this was a corner suite and because the suite features very large windows, is surrounded by light in daylight hours:
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
All the bedroom’s lights can be controlled by the switched next to the bed:
The windows really did allow in an incredible amount of light which gave the whole suite a nice airy feel…..and the view wasn’t too bad either:
At the opposite end of the room to the bed is a flat screen TV….
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
…and the cut-through to the entrance hallway where the entrance to the bathroom is to be found.
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
The cut-through is what the room’s wash basin is to be found, either side of two large closets:
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
If you’re standing facing the wash basin you have your back to the door of the bathroom.
One of the closets is home to the in-room safe which is big enough to hold a medium-sized laptop.
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
The bathroom itself is home to a sizeable shower unit….
…an impressive tub….
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
…and a toilet/bidet combo:
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
Overall the suite was comfortable, a good size and, because it was so bright, a pleasant place to spend some time….although the decor does appear to date back to the 1970’s!
Breakfast
Top-tier Hyatt status holders get complimentary breakfast included in all their stays and, as I mentioned in the beginning, I was given the option of having breakfast in the main restaurant which is located next to the hotel lobby.
The restaurant area wasn’t all that well lit (so please accept my apologies in advance for the poor quality of the pictures) and breakfast time was clearly the busiest time of day so taking pictures of the seating area simply wasn’t an option…but I did get some photos of the food.
The buffet-style breakfast offers a good number of juices…
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
….a staffed coffee/tea bar:
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
…and just about every type of fruit you can imagine!
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
The fruit was my favorite part of breakfast as there was so much to choose from and even varieties of fruit that I’d never seen before.
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
As well as all the fruit on offer the breakfast buffet has usual array of pastries, muffins and slices of cake….
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
… and cold cuts, cereals, yoghurts and Bircher muesli:
For those looking for a hot breakfast there’s a fully staffed kitchen offering made-to-order omelettes, pancakes, waffles and quite a bit more:
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
Over all the breakfast was pretty good and the variety of items on offer was impressive. Some of the staff members could have done with a few less frowns and a few more smiles but they may have been having a bad day – they had a lot of people to deal with.
The Grand Club Lounge
The Grand Club Lounge is located on the 20th floor of the Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo and most of what you need to know is in this welcome letter I was given at check-in (click to enlarge):
The lounge isn’t particularly large but it’s comfortable and, at least during the hours I was visiting, it didn’t get crowded.
The seating on offer is primarily regular tables and chairs suitable for working or dining….
…but one end of the lounge does offer a sofa and some armchairs….
…and there’s a small work area (with laptops) in one corner.
At the end of the lounge near the entrance is a counter with a built-in chiller cabinet offering sodas, water, juices and yoghurts:
On each occasion I visited the lounge there were small snack items laid out on the counter (so I’m assuming they’re there most of the day)….
…and a coffee maker/hot water brewer at the end of the counter allows guests to make their own tea and coffee:
The “evening cocktails” only run from 6pm to 8pm but they do come with a good spread of food items.
On the evenings I visited the lounge offered cheeses and cold cuts….
…. salad items, mini-sandwiches, cookies and cakes…..
…and some very nice breads:
The beverages included a selection of wines, spirits and juices….
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
…and there was a selection of beers in the chiller cabinet.
Overall the offering was pretty good and, on the day where I’d had a seriously big lunch at an excellent churrascaria, it was more than enough for a light evening meal.
The Pool
I didn’t visit the hotel gym (I didn’t exactly have a lot of time on the ground so I wasn’t about to waste it in the gym!) but I did check out the hotel pool which, because it was overcast, was deserted.
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
As hotels pools go this one is impressive and, had the sun been out, would have made a great place to relax.
There’s seating near the pool for anyone wanting to dine outside (you can have breakfast out here if you don’t mind having to walk inside to the buffet)….
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
…and there’s the customary pool bar too:
Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
Thoughts
Negatives
- I wasn’t wowed by the all-wood decor
- The lack of power outlets by the bed was annoying
- It would be nice if the lounge offered something past 8pm – compared to the JW Marriott in Hong Kong (for example) this wasn’t all that impressive
Positives
- The staff were extremely helpful and friendly
- The suite was a great size and the bed was very comfortable
- Having an espresso machine in the suite is a nice touch
- Being allowed to have the complimentary breakfast in the main restaurant is an excellent benefit
- The breakfast was great and the fruit was so nice that I had some of the healthiest breakfasts I’ve ever had during my stay
- The pool and pool area are impressive for a city center hotel
Bottom Line
I was pleased with my choice of hotel for my brief stay in Sao Paulo and I’d like to return to try the property out again now that I don’t have Hyatt top-tier status – it would be interesting to see the rooms and service from another standpoint. As it was, Hyatt benefits were very well applied (I didn’t have to cajole the staff into offering them) and the suite I was upgraded into was very comfortable indeed.
Overall this was a very nice (if short) stay and I’d definitely recommend trying out the property if you’re heading to Sao Paulo…especially if you have top-tier Hyatt status.
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