A Businessperson's Perspective on the Grand Hyatt São Paulo

The Grand Hyatt São Paulo is located in Itaim Bibi and near Morumbi. These neighborhoods are considered part of São Paulo’s business districts, and they contain many multi-national companies. Given the Grand Hyatt São Paulo is centrally located, you are close to many of São Paulo’s top restaurants, shopping centers and attractions.

The Grand Hyatt São Paulo offers hotel rooms with single, queen and king beds; it also has the Grand, Diplomat and Presidential suites. The rooms are designed to provide comfort and have locally inspired, simple décor. While I stayed, there were always premium amenities by Granado, which is a company local to Brazil that has amazing bath products. When staying in Brazil, I would always buy these products to bring home as gifts to my friends and family, and apparently you can now buy them in the U.S. I always had a nice view of São Paulo from the room, and I personally prefer the rooms that overlook the Octavio Frias de Oliveria bridge.

In addition to the hotel rooms, there is plenty of meeting and event spaces. There are 17 meeting rooms with high ceilings and natural light. The grand ballroom can hold 1,200 attendees, and, as you can imagine, there are catering options provided through the hotel. While I stayed at the Grand Hyatt São Paulo, there were always conferences occurring.

The property has an outdoor pool, fitness center and a spa. You can enhance your stay with access to the Grand Club Lounge, which offers complimentary breakfast, high-speed Wi-Fi, appetizers and evening cocktails.

Pets are welcome at the Grand Hyatt São Paulo. The hotel provides a pet park with pet toys, a green area and ample space for your furry friends to run. Upon check-in, every guest’s pet receives a hygiene mat, water bowl and food bowl.

While staying at the Grand Hyatt São Paulo, you’ll find a variety of tasty dining options. This is important because after a long day’s work, you don’t want to sit in traffic to go to another restaurant. In Brazil, it’s not uncommon to choose restaurants within a hotel to eat at. On the weekend, you’ll find many Brazilians dining at these restaurants. At the Grand Hyatt São Paulo, you’ll find the following dining options:

• N.U. Bar: Serves salads, sandwiches, cocktails, coconut water and freshly squeezed juices. Wonderful to enjoy when you’re at the pool or just need something quick. Also, freshly squeezed juices are the norm in Brazil — make sure to try them. My favorites are pineapple with mint or tangerine.

• C Restaurant: Serves contemporary cuisine with national and international influences and uses local ingredients and seasonings to bring the taste of Brazil.

• Kinu Sushi Bar: Serves both Japanese food and sushi. I really enjoyed this restaurant. We had great udon noodles, and both sushi and sashimi. If you read reviews, you’ll find that many people say the service is slow. I didn’t find that to be the case. However, I’ll admit that I’m used to Brazil’s slower, relaxed pace, and if I really need something, I just ask for it.

• In-room dining: This was always a go-to for me after a long day. I always enjoyed the food.

The Grand Hyatt São Paulo offers both valet and self-parking. At the time this was written, the cost for both services was equal. You can also utilize rideshare services — Uber and 99 Taxis — or limo and traditional taxis. Personally, I don’t drive in São Paulo and wouldn’t recommend most people to do so. One small tip, if it is a peak transit time, I would recommend using a taxi instead of Uber. Taxis are allowed to drive in the bus lanes, while Ubers are not.

The Grand Hyatt São Paulo is located 53 km from Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) and 6 km Congonhas Airport (CGH). Congonhas is really convenient to fly out of if you have a domestic flight within Brazil. I usually flew out of CGH to go to Rio. However, if it’s raining or strong fog, you’re not going anywhere from Congonhas.

Here is a small list of shopping centers and places I liked to frequent while in São Paulo.

• Market Place Shopping Center: A convenient mall that I would run my errands in, as well as meet friends and clients for lunches and dinners. The mall provides a lot of services, including dry cleaning, shoe repair and tailoring. I would also go there for a quick mani / pedi.

• Morumbi Shopping: Very close to the Grand Hyatt São Paulo. It offers a variety of national and international clothing, cosmetics and electronics brands. It has various dining options and a cinema.

• Cidade Jardim Shopping: Cidade Jardim is much more than a mall. Apparently, it is supposed to be inspired by the most elegant streets in the world. It has an atmosphere that mixes charm and sophistication. It offers a nice variety of stores, and has great restaurants! I always enjoyed going to Sal Gastronomia.

• JK Iguatemi: My office building was across the street from JK Iguatemi, so I visited this mall regularly. I would say that this mall had many of the luxury brands and had a sophisticated design. I enjoyed eating at the restaurants in this mall with colleagues and clients.

• Iguatemi Faria Lima: Faria Lima is an upscale area in São Paulo. Here you will have a shopping experience combined with comfort and refinement.

• Iibirapuera Park: Designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and landscaper Burle Marx. Ibirapuera is one of the largest parks in São Paulo. Within the park there are many lakes, a Japanese garden, planetarium, and the oldest Museum of Modern Art in the country, the MAM. It’s a super busy place on the weekend, but it’s lovely to stroll and meet your friends for a relaxing day.

• São Paulo Municipal Theater: The building was completed in 1911. It has an elegant façade and rich interior reminiscent of the Paris opera house. It hosts the Symphonic Orchestra, Lyric Choir, City Ballet, and other events. I believe there are free guided tours available.

• Paulista Avenue: You will need to drive or take a taxi here from the Grand Hyatt São Paulo. Paulista Avenue is the main artery of São Paulo. Shop at malls and boutiques and walk among skyscrapers, museums, theaters and park. Each Sunday, the avenue is closed to vehicles for a street festival of vendors, food, dancing and live music performances that enthrall both locals and tourists.

• Trianon Arts Fair: Organized regularly on Sundays on the sidewalk in front of Parque Siqueira Campos, better known as Parque Trianon, on Avenida Paulista. Divided into four main segments: handicrafts, plastic arts, floriculture and food. It’s an opportunity to look and enjoy the variety that is on display.

• São Paulo Museum of Modern Art (MASP): MASP is located on Avenida Paulista and houses one of the best art collections in Brazil and South America. It has a collection of European and Brazilian art. Works by Rembrandt, Rubens, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec and Raphael are on display.

• MASP Antiques Fair: The Antiques Fair takes place on Sundays, and it’s quite a treasure trove of unique things. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s fun to wander through.

• Jardim Botanico: Founded in 1928, the Botanical Garden has 143 hectares, with various plant species. The Botanical Institute has a library with around 6,400 books and a privileged botanical collection. I like going here to find green and calm in the city.

I would absolutely recommend the Grand Hyatt São Paulo for business stays.

As you plan your trip to São Paulo, make sure to think through where or how you would like to spend your time. São Paulo is a large city with lots of traffic. You may desire a hotel that’s closer to the activities and restaurants you would like to enjoy.

There are so many things to do in São Paulo. The above list is extremely small and doesn’t even begin to hit on the amazing restaurants. I listed things that are easy to do if you’re a business traveler and have a little down time on the weekend.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to São Paulo. In need of further inspiration? Check out Carolina Porto’s guide, What to Do During Your 2-Day Layover in São Paulo.