by Standard Suítes-Higienopolis

The hotel isn't new, but the rooms are usually spacious and comfortable. For the location and the city, the price is good. I'd recommend it for business trips or stays of 1-3 nights.

The rooms had lovely balconies and some of the better views in São Paulo, in a nice central neighborhood that felt very safe. The rooms themselves were amazing. Check-in, though, took 40 minutes even though we'd booked and paid in advance. There was one woman at the desk with five people waiting, and for the first 30 minutes she didn't acknowledge us or try to communicate. Staff at the desk spoke only Portuguese. They eventually brought another woman over, who at least greeted us in Portuguese and made a small effort to communicate. It shouldn't be so hard to check in with a confirmed booking and payment. The lap pool was long enough for proper swimming, but the water was cloudy, there was no lighting or markings on the bottom, and I had to feel for the pool's end each time.

For a hotel that isn't cheap, the hot water was limited, there was no quilt, and the air conditioner gave no cool air and seemed purely decorative. The one bright spot was the woman at reception. She was beautiful, cute, charming, and polite, and I liked her a lot. Without that, I'd only give it one star.

I've had few hotel stays as good as this one. The rooms, location, and staff were all great, and the prices were good too.