I'll be teaching a class there for a week in mid June. Looks like it is about 15 miles from Sao Paulo city center.

Is it totally crazy to stay in the big city and commute back and forth each morning/evening?

For this trip I am not interested in immersing myself in the local culture and am sure I will get enough just moving around each day. My minimum requirements are a safe location and a clean, comfortable hotel. Have spent a lot of time in western Europe and know what I can expect, but never been to South America.

I understand the traffic in Sao Paulo can be very difficult, but looking at a map it seems like it might be worth a 45 minute commute. I will have a driver so I don't need to navigate on my own.

As a Marriott member I would lean towards the Renaissance. What do locals or experienced Brazil travelers think of staying in cicty center but having business outside?

Anyone with a choice who lives there tries to live as close to work as possible, for a reason. The traffic can be awful, especially if it rains. Have a serious talk with the car service company about actual commute time. The Rennaisance is in a great neighborhood (Jardins) though. Lots of nice restaurants, cafes, bakeries, upscale shops, bookstore, MASP museum, Trianon park, etc, and close to a metro stop.

Jaragu� is in the north end of S. Paulo with not a lot to do around. As you�ll be here for a week s. Paulo is a better alternative and the Renaissance a nice hotel in a good and safe area. The only question is traffic that can take anything like 45 to 90 minutes.

Another option would be Alphaville ( there�s a quite decent Radisson there ), an upscale neighborhood, outside of S. Paulo with good access to Jaragua thru the Rodoanel. There are a lot of restaurants, a couple of good malls and traffic is much more reliable.