Uotel Downtown Sé

If you're booking with 360 suítes through air bnb, be careful. Sometimes paying a little more for a decent room is better than arriving and finding that the room isn't the one shown in the photos. The listing showed a queen bed, but I was put in a generic room with a double bed. Check-in was supposed to start at 3 p.m.; I arrived at 3:10, but the room was still being cleaned and wasn't ready until 4:20. Avoid this place or you may be very disappointed.

There are three elevators, and entry uses a fingerprint system. They even register the fingerprints of guests, which is pretty cool. Lots of mirrors, a little shop, a nice view, and a pool.

Setin Downtown Praça da Se was built in 2018, and the studios range from 22 to 28 m². In 2023, condo fees were R$ 260-320, while rents ranged from R$ 1,700 to R$ 2,600 depending on the floor and whether the unit was furnished. It's one of the nicest condominiums on the street, so there's a lot of demand for both short stays and longer leases. I have a fully furnished unit available for rent: (1 1) 9 3 2 4 6 - 1277.

Getting around from Downtown is easy, with metro and several bus lines nearby, and you can even walk to places in central São Paulo. The downside is safety. At any hour, on any day or in any weather, this area feels very dangerous. People steal phones, chains, and wallets, and cars can have their windows smashed at traffic lights if something valuable is visible on the seat. The whole center may be like this, but Sé seems a bit worse. The building itself is good. It's 26 floors, and I stayed in a flat on one of them. The view over much of the center is incredible, depending on which way the apartment faces. There's a 24-hour doorman, three elevators, a gym, and machines on the ground floor selling chocolate and snacks. I think there are other amenities, but I didn't use them.