Radisson Blu São Paulo

The hotel didn’t provide the basic care I expected from a five-star place, especially around celiac-safe food. Before the stay, I emailed through the agency and directly, and called to check whether they could provide a safe breakfast for someone with celiac disease. They confirmed they could, but that turned out to be far from true. I stayed four nights. On the first morning, I asked where the gluten-free, celiac-safe food was, and the hostess looked horrified and said they couldn’t serve me anything. The manager and nutritionist told me there was no separate kitchen space and everything was contaminated. I had paid for breakfast. They eventually said they might have gluten-free bread I could take to my room; the nutritionist also said I could have butter in sealed portions. I asked for yogurt, and they provided it. I expected them to arrange something for the remaining days, but nothing changed. After I complained at reception, a small bag with four gluten-free cakes was finally waiting on the third day. When a staff member asked if he could do anything else, I requested fruit. He said it was available at the buffet, even though everything there was contaminated and I couldn’t eat it. I asked if they could bring some fruit for my last day, but they made no effort. I expected respect and at least a basic understanding of what “celiac-safe” means. Why claim to accommodate dietary restrictions if they can’t? There are no water fountains either. A 350 ml can of water in the room costs R$24 (around USD 4.50) each. Very disappointing, and I wouldn’t recommend the hotel to anyone with celiac disease or other dietary restrictions.

The rooms are big, breakfast is decent, and the staff are helpful, so you get your money’s worth. The pool, though, isn’t very big.

The manager was very rude when I complained, and I’m never going back. On my first visit, we got complimentary drinks and could have them by the pool. When we returned, there were no free drinks and drinking by the pool was prohibited. They also charge for parking, which I’ve never had to pay at any hotel I’ve stayed at that costs 1000 per night. Absolutely ridiculous.

Breakfast service was great, but the WiFi never worked. I checked in late and raised it with the front desk, who said they’d send a note to tech services in the morning. That wasn’t useful since I checked out at 0800.