The first W Hotel in Brazil, W São Paulo, opened in late December and is already wowing guests with its glass tower, excellent food and beverage options, and prime location. W Hotels has changed since its inception in the 1990s when it was more about being a hip, party-like destination where guests and locals wanted to see and be seen.
Today, the next-generation W is a sophisticated hotel concept with high-end design, unique dining and drinking venues, and of course, its original playful edge. Let’s take a look at five excellent reasons to visit W São Paulo on your next trip to Brazil’s largest city.
The Views
This glass tower reaches 40 floors above the city’s bustling traffic. The top half of the building represents the hotel rooms and suites. The bottom half has private residences that are among the city’s newest and finest.
From this height, the W’s rooms and suites are higher than many of the neighboring skyscrapers. Views are incredible, and the sea of office and residential towers unfurls as far as the eye can see. Some “paulistas” (or residents of the city) choose to avoid the heavy traffic by traveling by helicopter (these flit about like flies landing on the roofs of buildings).
The 40th floor wet deck is home to the infinity edge pool, which has plenty of cushioned lounge chairs. Views are among the best from up here, which is also home to the hotel’s popular L40 restaurant and lounge. DJs often entertain at night when the drinks start flowing.
Even the fitness floor one level down has walls of windows so that people can take in the sights while they work out.
The Design
Take a look around the lobby on the 24th floor (it’s actually called a lounge). The furnishings bear different fabrics and design materials, all the handiwork of creative Brazilians. Mis-matched chairs add color and energy to the bar, which serves pastries and coffee during the day and izakaya-style fare, tasty cocktails and dozens (and dozens) of Japanese whiskey options.
Dim hallways continue the theme of Brazilian colors and jungle-like leaves. The rooms show off even more creativity. It starts with W’s famous bed crafted by a pillowtop bed, enormous plush pillows and a white duvet. USB ports of all types are on either side of the bed.
Even the entry-level rooms are spacious, but the larger you go, the more living space there is. A special highlight are the bright bathrooms with large windows in the shower areas and separate water closets.
Suites have soaking tubs in the living area. All rooms benefit from minibars stocked with Brazilian snacks and massive flat-screen TVs that swivel. Coming soon (they were still under wraps during our visit) are the top suites like the E-Wow version, which is sure to be perfect for entertaining.
The Restaurants and Bars
Baio is the main restaurant serving three meals a day. It starts with a decadent breakfast spread that has the ripest fruits, an array of juices and smoothies, hot and cold dishes, and of course, famous Brazilian cheese bread passed around by staff. An a la carte menu includes bespoke eggs benedict recipes, melt-in-your-mouth Brazilian tapioca plates and acai bowls.
Later in the day, the menu transitions to one that represents the cuisine from southern Brazil. It also incorporates notable influences from Argentina and Uruguay. This means you can expect mouth-watering steaks and traditional Brazilian recipes with a twist. Local business people have already made Baio a go-to spot for entertaining clients.
Come evening, the menu continues the regional flair and takes in the splashy views from the 23rd floor. Just around the corner is yet another cocktail bar (W is all about entertainment and fun, right?). The menu here differs in that it incorporates more foodie flavors in its mixology recipes. Expect local veggies and fruits to dominate the palate. There are also creative mocktails that are becoming increasingly popular in the city.
Up on level 40, L40 is making quite the splash (and not because it sits next to the pool). L40 doesn’t stand for level 40, but Latitude 40. The menu items here fuse flavors from Brazil with all of the top recipes that appear along that latitude. This includes Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, China, Korea and the United States. For example, there are empanada-style dishes stuffed with Peking Duck and patatas bravas with spicy sauce made with manioca (Brazilian yucca).
All of this is the result of an impressive culinary team representing the city’s best chefs under the aegis of the director of food and beverage that came to the hotel from W Bogota. He brings a touch of magic and creativity that inspires the chef team and the serving staff (just wait until you see his mixology ideas for the bar).
The Location
Once considered the edge of town, this is the new downtown and financial center of the city as South America’s largest metropolis continues to balloon. Office towers for banks and tech companies like Google and Netflix are next door. Also adjacent to the hotel are beautiful manicured parks and gardens. Dozens of restaurants are within walking distance. Just across the street: one of the city’s two major fashion malls with every high-end brand (and a food court that is hard to beat).
Another draw that is sure to attract hotel guests and locals is the spa, which will have three treatment rooms. The staff used local ingredients and recipes to design the treatments’ oils and creams.
Here’s a fun fact. The physical building for the W was redesigned slightly during its reconstruction to allow for better views. This means the architecture was shifted so to not obstruct the scenery from most windows by neighboring towers.
The People
It is clear from the moment you arrive that the staff are proud of this new W opening. They don designer uniforms and are eager to show off every corner of the hotel’s chic public areas. Working at the W is as sought after as staying at one; it’s a hospitality symbol that you’re cool. And this team is cool.
The door staff and security team greet guests with a smile and point travelers to nearby attractions. If you are sitting in one of the lounges, someone is sure to come and greet you with a glass of water and offer something from the bar menu. They might even strike up a conversation to ask how your day is or if you are interested in learning about the Brazilian designers that crafted most of the furnishings.
It’s not just the people that work here that W São Paulo is proud of, but also the people that it works with to supply things for the hotel. For example, the drip coffee in the restaurant is from a local, female-operated non-profit that produces the richly flavored beans. The coffee industry in Brazil is heavily male-dominated. This is just one example of how the hotel focuses on community support. Marriott Bonvoy fans will find this to be one of the best hotels in the city. It is certainly its most design-forward.
