DELPLAZA Excelsior São Paulo - By Monreale

The service could at least have been better. The bathroom was nasty, the old-fashioned AC remote didn't work, and the keys didn't work at all. The elevators were painfully slow, with too much waiting. The hotel itself wasn't good, and the downtown area isn't one of the best, though I understand that's where it is.

The staff were nice, there were universal outlets, and some good restaurants nearby. Those were the positives. I came in excited, but was disappointed in a lot of ways. For a four-star hotel, especially at this price, I expected more. The WiFi was the worst I've had at any hotel in São Paulo, and I couldn't get work done on my computer. There wasn't even complimentary bottled water, the fridge didn't work, and there was no hand lotion. The neighborhood felt a bit unsafe, so I was surprised the elevators weren't secured with room cards. The carpets were extremely dirty, there were bugs in the bathroom, and the beds were stained and uncomfortable. The curtains were stained too. I also didn't like the breakfast.

Getting around was easy, with the metro, shops, pharmacies, grocery stores, and restaurants all close by. I was also told to be careful walking alone at night and to keep my phone and wallet in front pockets. The staff were kind and helpful, and they answered emails promptly in the months before my stay. When no one at reception could speak English, they used Google Translate. A couple of practical issues: the Wi-Fi barely held up, freezing every few seconds during video and making web browsing slow. Some room doors were hard to open even after the card turned green; lifting the handle quickly, then pushing it down, worked for me. The air conditioner is sensitive. I had to run it on the coldest setting for a few hours, then lower the fan and ease off the temperature control, or it would freeze and stop working. If you know you need an extra night, add it through the same booking site in advance. I extended at the desk and paid almost twice the website price.

I’d happily come back. The location was good, breakfast was excellent, and the staff were friendly. The bellhoppers were especially wonderful and made us feel like we were getting five-star treatment. I do wish breakfast had something for people with food allergies. During all four days of my stay, I could only eat fruit.