Grand Hyatt São Paulo in Brazil [In-Depth Hotel Review]

My family and I recently had an excuse to visit São Paulo, Brazil, for a long weekend, which opened up the opportunity to visit some hotels that have long been on my radar.

São Paulo is a massive city with over 12 million residents and plenty of lodging options from all of the big brands, including Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and, of course, Hyatt.

Initially, I wanted to stay at the JW Marriott Hotel São Paulo, formerly a Four Seasons. Still, despite my attempts, the hotel could not guarantee a room accommodating 4 people.

With my wife and 2 young kids, I didn’t want to risk any issues, so I moved on to my next option, the Grand Hyatt São Paulo.

I had heard nothing but good things about this hotel, so I was excited to finally check it out.

Let’s take a look at how my 3-night stay as a family of 4 was.

Spoiler alert: I was not disappointed!

Hotel Location

The 467-room Grand Hyatt São Paulo sits in the business-centric Brooklin neighborhood, full of excellent shopping and dining options — although not necessarily within walking distance.

If you’re flying into São Paulo, the Grand Hyatt is about 4 miles from Congonhas Airport (CGH) and 27 miles from the larger Guarulhos International Airport (GRU).

It took us about 15 minutes and $10 in an Uber to get from CGH to the hotel. If you have the option of airports, CGH is the better option as getting from GRU can be notoriously long — over 2 hours if you get stuck in traffic.

Booking

The Grand Hyatt São Paulo is a Category 3 World of Hyatt property, which means that rates can vary between 9,000 and 15,000 World of Hyatt points per night.

World of Hyatt Points

Rates were 12,000 per night for a standard room for the weekend we were visiting, so I used a Category 1-4 free night certificate from my The World of Hyatt Credit Card for the first night and then points for the remaining 2 nights.

Reward night options for the nights we were in town were:

• Standard Room Free Night — 12,000 points (what I booked)
• Grand Club Free Night — 17,000 points
• Standard Suite Free Night — 20,000 points (what I received)
• Premium Suite Free Night — 24,000 points

Cash rates were around $250 per night, so I was happy to keep that cash in my pocket and use points and a certificate.

Checking In

After an early morning flight from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo, we arrived at the hotel around 10 a.m., and the bellman quickly escorted us to the front desk.

Since it was so early, we were prepared to drop off our bags and go explore the city, but the manager at the desk assured us that she could find us something early.

After thanking me for being a Globalist, she said that an upgrade to a suite was available and we could wait for it to be cleaned in the Grand Club lounge. Perfect!

Since it was so early, breakfast was still being served. My family and I relaxed a bit, and our keys were delivered to us while we enjoyed coffee and views of the city. A great start.

Elite Benefits

As a World of Hyatt Globalist member, I received some nice perks, including:

• Room upgrade (I received a 1-bedroom Grand Suite)
• Grand Club access
• Free parking (I didn’t use)
• Late checkout

To be honest, the most important perk for me was the Grand Club access. Traveling as a family of 4, having breakfast and a light snack (or more) in the evenings can save a lot of money.

Hot Tip:

If you want to boost your elite status, be sure to read how to earn Globalist status with World of Hyatt card spend.

Amenities

The Grand Hyatt São Paulo has a pretty solid list of amenities for a city hotel. For my kids, the most important was the pool!

Pools

Surprisingly, there were 2 pools at the Grand Hyatt São Paulo: indoor and outdoor.

Indoor Pool

The indoor pool is located in the spa on the hotel’s second floor.

Guests could use the locker room of the spa plus help themselves to tea and water.

After a long day of exploring São Paulo, my kids loved splashing around in the warm water.

The indoor pool is open daily from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Outdoor Pool

The outdoor pool is located on the ground level, with access via elevator from the spa.

Despite being heated, the chilly weather prevented us from giving it a try.

Plus, it backed up to a major, quite noisy road. It wasn’t as relaxing as the indoor option.

The outdoor pool is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Amanary Spa

Guests looking for a little pampering while in town can find that at the Amanary Spa.

Located on the second floor of the Grand Hyatt São Paulo, the spa offers a variety of massages and treatments.

The serene environment is a nice contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city outside.

The Amanary Spa is open daily from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Fitness Center

The fitness center at the Grand Hyatt São Paulo was quite impressive and one of my favorite hotel gyms I’ve used in Brazil.

While not particularly large or with special equipment, the layout was nice, and there was a little bit of everything, at least enough for me.

Located near the spa on the second floor, there were 3 separate rooms for exercise: a Cardio Studio with treadmills and bikes, a Multi Studio with punching bags and resistance equipment, and a Strength Studio with free weights and Technogym machines.

Cardio Studio

The Cardio Studio had a nice layout of new Technogym equipment, including bikes, treadmills, stair climbers, and ellipticals.

There was also a room off to the side for stretching and light free weights.

Additionally, there was a water and towel station that was always clean and organized — which is not always the case in busy hotels.

Multi Studio

The Multi Studio was large and empty each time I passed it.

There were 2 punching bags and plenty of mats and rollers available.

Along one of the walls was some resistance equipment for stretching and strength training.

Strength Studio

The Strength Studio was the smallest of the studios but had the most equipment and was also the most consistently busy during my visits. That is where my complaints end because I really enjoyed working out here.

Most of the equipment felt brand new and had features that I don’t remember seeing before, including cellphone holders in locations to facilitate recording your workout.

There were even small screens that cycled information about the hotel, the machine, and your current workout — very cool.

The variety of machines, free weights, and natural light made this a great hotel gym to work up a sweat in.

The fitness center is open 24 hours per day.

Pet Policy

The Grand Hyatt São Paulo is pet-friendly, with no weight limits.

The cleaning fee is 350 Brazilian real (~$70) per stay up to 3 nights, and then R$50 (~$10) for each additional 3 nights.

Valet Parking

Valet and self-parking are available in the secured and covered garage under the hotel.

Both valet and self-parking rates are R$58 (~$12) per day.

Hot Tip:

Hyatt Globalists get free parking on award stays.

Wireless Internet

The Grand Hyatt São Paulo Wi-Fi was free and fast, just how I like it. The internet worked perfectly for streaming on my kids’ tablets and posting on social media.

Grande Suite

I booked a standard room with 2 beds but was upgraded to a Grand Suite with a king bed and great views of the city.

I was assigned room 1102, the Jequitiba Suite, a corner room at the end of the hall on the 11th floor.

The room is listed on the Hyatt website as 731 square feet (68 square meters), which is quite large and was a great amount of space for my family of 4 for the long weekend.

The room’s entrance is a hallway of wooden panels and mirrors, wide enough to be a good spot to kick off shoes and drop bags when arriving.

Immediately on the left is one of the entrances to the bathroom, but continuing on will bring you to the living room, where we spent most of our time.

Living Room

The living room had a sofa (not a pullout), 2 chairs, a desk, a minibar, and a 43-inch TV.

The espresso maker was by Nespresso.

The minibar had some free water, as well as some basic snacks.

The alarm clock was also a Bluetooth speaker with a phone charger.

Despite the living room not having a pullout sofa, this area was quickly turned into a very comfortable sleeping spot for my 2 kids.

Housekeeping did a great job turning the couch into a single bed for my 9-year-old.

My just-turned-5-year-old was quite comfortable in his JetKids by Stokke CloudSleeper inflatable mattress.

Oh, and when the hotel found out about my son’s birthday, they had a chocolate cake waiting for him. Such a nice touch!

Bedroom

The bedroom area was located just off of the living room and felt even larger than the living room.

With massive windows along 3 walls, the views of São Paulo were quite impressive.

The king bed, sheets, and pillows were all extremely comfortable and were a great place to crash after long days of exploring the massive city.

The bedroom also had 2 chairs with ottomans and a table and another TV with some shelves for storage.

Bathroom

The bathroom was well-designed, with access to the sink area from both the entrance hall and the suite.

This area also housed 2 larger closets stocked with a luggage rack, robes, slippers, and flip-flops.

There was also a fully-stocked amenity kit: a loofah, mouthwash, a dental kit, a shaving kit, a comb, and more.

Soap and other amenities were by the very popular Brazilian brand Granado.

The shower, tub, and toilet were all in the same area and felt a bit dated, but they were very clean and functional.

My kids enjoyed some bubble baths. The water pressure was good in the shower, and the shampoo, conditioner, and soap were all from Granado. So, no complaints.

The bathroom also had a bidet, but the location was awkward, and we kicked that scale like 5 times before relocating it.

Food and Beverage

If you don’t have the energy to go out and explore the incredible dining in São Paulo (which is a sin), there are some good options at the Grand Hyatt.

C Restaurant

C Restaurant is located in the lobby and has an all-day menu. It’s where breakfast is served unless you have club access.

This spot is described as having local flavors with international influence and serves just about everything, including pasta, seafood, and steaks.

C Restaurant is open daily from 6:30 a.m. until 11 p.m., and you can find the menu online.

Kinu Sushi Bar

Sushi is a big deal in Brazil, especially in São Paulo. You can find some excellent dishes and sake at Kinu Sushi Bar.

Located in the lobby, as part of C Restaurant, guests can order anything from edamame to sashimi and ramen without leaving the hotel.

Kinu Sushi Bar is open Monday to Saturday from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m., and you can find the menu online.

n.u. Bar

n.u. Bar is the poolside bar that serves light snacks and drinks, but availability depends on the weather.

When the weather is good, n.u. Bar is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Grand Club

The Grand Club was easily one of the highlights of my stay and a great benefit of being a Hyatt Globalist.

Located on the 20th floor, with sweeping city views, it was the perfect spot to start our day with breakfast or welcome the evening at happy hour.

For breakfast, there was an impressive spread of pastries and cold cuts.

We could also help ourselves to fruits and yogurts.

There were also hot items, including eggs, bacon, sausage, and my personal favorite, pão de queijo (cheese bread).

For anyone with dietary restrictions, there was a vegan station, too.

As good as those options were, I went with the a la carte options, usually ordering a ham and cheese tapioca (a type of crepe) and an eggs Benedict.

Both were excellent each morning.

There was a cocktail hour in the evening with light snacks, which was almost enough dinner for my kids.

We enjoyed some small sandwiches and ceviche.

There was also a nice array of sweets and desserts.

Of course, cocktail hour had some adult beverages, including beer, wine, and spirits.

The Grand Club is open daily for breakfast from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. (11 a.m. on weekends and holidays) and for happy hour from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Room Service

Sometimes, you just need some room service. Fortunately, that is an option at the Grand Hyatt São Paulo (albeit an expensive one!).

Room service is available 24 hours per day, and you can find the menu online.

Service

From the moment I stepped foot in the Grand Hyatt São Paulo, my family and I received nothing but the highest level of service we have received at a hotel in Brazil.

From the manager who greeted us and checked us in early to Victoria and Stella, who remembered my kids’ names each time we entered the lounge, to the handwritten birthday note from the GM, the service shined at every interaction.

The level of hospitality was impressive at the Grand Hyatt São Paulo, making it feel like we were coming home each night — which says a lot in a city of 12 million people.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Grand Hyatt São Paulo was an excellent hotel for a long weekend with my family.

The location was a great jumping-off point for the various museums, restaurants, and events we were in town for. Plus, it was really easy to get to the local airport.

The upgrade to a suite was much appreciated, the service was impeccable, the lounge was great, and the pool and fitness center were top-notch.

I would easily stay here again and would recommend my friends, family, and readers to do the same next time in São Paulo.