ARLVACP

Have read mixed reviews about the IC Sao Paulo in the IC threads - particularly regarding the Club (or lack thereof!).

Am Platinum Ambassador (not Royal) - and am heading to Sao Paulo early March for business. Anyone have any recent experiences staying at the IC Sao Paulo? Club experience? Upgrade upon arrival? Trying to decide between the IC, Renaissance and Emiliano. Also heard that the IC is not in the best of neighborhoods - although it looks fairly close in location to the Emiliano (that is supposedly a more upscale neighborhood).

Thanks!

redrock

I would recommend the Renaissance. The IC Sao Paulo is a strange property. The lot where it sits is not very large so the hotel has is skinny and thus the layout is a little cramped. I found services to be adequate there but not worth the price they charge.

boar

I am a RA & would also be interested to know how the hotel handles
award stays in terms of free mini bar, club access, room upgrade etc.

Thanks

djjaguar64

IC is too far from everything, kinda isolated.

IAN-UK

The IC neighbourhood is just fine, the staff are professional and helpful. I have enjoyed my stays there. It's a block away from Paulista, MASP and the metro.

Club is a small, reasonably comfortable, lobby area by the lifts on the XX (club) floor. No reception, just a breakfast buffet and cold food/drinks in the evening. The lack of supervision means you might surprise a guest making off with an entire tray of sandwiches, or snaffling the beer for room consumption, but you can probably get things replenished. There are two PC's as well. I imagine any guest who knows of the existence of the lounge can use it.

At weekends the lounge gets even more low-profile, and disappears. You are offered a drink in the bar downstairs.

My RA upgrade has been to a full suite comprising a small living room and bedroom.

nicolas75

The main advantage of IC is precisely to be only a few meters from Avenida Paulista, the Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo, the chic Rua Oscar Freire.

Sao Paulo is a big city, but the metro station is close to the hotel, and very convenient to reach most places.

IAN-UK

Sao Paulo has many different "centres". The centre-centre is the area around Republica/Sao Bento the cathedral. Teeming with commerce in the daytime, but an area a visitor might feel uncomfortable in after dark.

The IC is next to an area of streets with the very smartest shops, restaurants and nightspots. It's about as secure as SP gets. It's also within a block of the international business area, straddling and lining Paulista. The metro is not extensive, but its safe, fast and clean: there's a station within easy walking distance. Also a taxi rank on the next street to the hotel, and taxi rides to any of the other entertainment/shopping "centres" are cheap.

Give it a try!

holtju2

^ ^

I have stayed in Sao Paulo too many times over the years - last time earlier this week. The IC isn't bad but nobody should choose it for the "club" they offer. Personally I prefer Renaissance over the IC.

djjaguar64 is wrong in saying that the location of the IC is far from anything though. Very close to the Jardins which is nice neighborhood.

why fly

I think I will Skip this hotel and see what SPG has to offer.

holtju2

The SPG options is Sao Paulo are non-existent if that was what your was suppose to mean.

The Sherton's location at the WTC is horrible.

3544quebec

If you have PC points the Staybridge Suites in Itaim Bibi is a perfectly accceptable business class hotel. The Airport bus drops you a 5 min cab-ride away. The Iguatemi shopping mall is a 10 min walk away. There is no metro nearby but buses run eveywhere from a block away (if you can navigate Sao Paulo by bus!) - and its on the current PointsBreak list.

I have always stayed in the Augusta/Paulista precinct but have spent the last week at the Staybridge Suites and am perfectly content - especially at 5000 points a night.

SkyTeam777

The rooms look a bit outdated, can anyone comment on any recent renovations here?

kryten22uk

Stayed here last week. The rooms dont look recently rennovated, but they dont look too tired either. Beds are large and comfy. We got a room on 16th floor with balcony overlooking the entrance/driveway. Staff are nice enough.

Do NOT have the room service pizza! OMG worst ever.

The rest of the hotel is more tired than the rooms. And the pool area is an abomination. We looked at the pool when we arrived and never went back. Firstly its tiny, and secondly but more importantly was that it was incredibly dirty. There was noone around, so to be honest, maybe they've have closed down the pool, and we just didnt see the "no entry" signs? Quite awful.

Throughout our stay the Jonas Brothers were also staying, which meant that there were 1000's of teenage girls camped out from 6am to 1am (do they not have responsible parents or what!) screaming viraciously at the slightest hint of anyone on a balcony or entering/exiting the hotel. The first day it was amusing, but thereafter it was annoying. Not the hotels fault, just an anecdote.

I wouldnt go out of my way to stay here again, particularly because of the grimy pool, and poor room service, and general tiredness of the property, but it was on points, so cant complain.

One more thing, the concierge was very useful in finding me Grand Prix tickets the day before the race, but after ordering them she said she needed cash, not card. So as the daily ATM withdrawal amount was way less than the cash she wanted she made me add cash to my room with a whopping 10% service charge!

nldogbert

Hi,

I will be going to SP for 2 days in Dec [my first trip to Brazil]. Planning on using Points/Free night redemption. I am considering either place, but not sure which would be the better choice, thus would like your opinons here.

Staybridge:
Pros:
- Less points needed [40000 for 2 nights]
- Close to CGH airport where I need to take a early flight the next day
- close to a shopping complex and reportedly safe area
- close to Hotel unique for the skybar
- if I choose this I will use my free night at the IC in Rio.

Cons:
- seems to be far from metro station -> will be travelling mainly by public transport

IC:
Pros:
- along Ave. Paulista and metro [heard it is a block away]
- seems more convenient for sightseeing with public transport

Cons:
- need 30k + 1 free night coupon
- heard that rooms and service not as expected from IC hotels
- only Plat, so no extra beenies at IC expected.

Thus I am curious which would be the better choice? the main item bugging me is the transportation.

Cheers!

3544quebec

Some good news on the Club front. There has been a renovation and the Club Lounge is no longer just an alcove off the lift on the 17th floor. There is now a very swish Club Lounge on the top (20th) floor which used to be a part of the Presidential Suite.
The lounge is now also open on weekends.
Some of the rooms have been renovated as well (obviously for the worse if you want to book the Presidential Suite ) The Junior Suites are somewhat misnamed as they have a separate lounge room although no dining area.