Do you happen to have a link to the airport bus info that stops in front of the hotel?

Another option to get into the city is ground transportation. A special bus service (http://www.airportbusservice.com.br) offers numerous routes around the town, like Paulista Avenue, Downtown and Tatuapé, check where you are staying or going. Rates are BRL24. These buses run from 7 am until 7 pm, and the ride to and from the airport should last about 30-50 minutes.

For low budget travellers, there is a public ground transportation, a bus going to Tatuapé (East Zone), where you can get local subway (Red line, transfer at Sé Station to Green and Blue line). If it's the first time visiting the city, be sure to get information at forum before reaching airport. São Paulo is quite a huge city and easy to get lost.

Taxi:confused: Why bother when there is such a nice reasonable air conditioned roomy bus conveniently available a few steps from the Hotel front door for US$12.00 to or from the airport ! ^

Also, you must be careful to take official taxis for security reasons and at times avoid a bumpy ride in a tight back seat wiith bad shocks. :D

Standard business hotel centrally located in SP with a nice lounge. Lounge attendants are friendly and helpful.

The only thing that I do not like is that booking on Marriott's website is in US$. The front desk converts the rate into Reais and bills the stay in Brazilian Reais and the conversion rate is not a standard rate used by Visa/MC/Amex, but an arbitrary rate advantageous to the hotel, essentially adding 5-10% to the room rate booked.

Hotel exchange rates!
 

The Marriott Desk exchange was $1.85 Reias for USD $1.00.
We got $2,0 Reias for each US $1.00, at the Cambio's found in
Travel offices around the corner. They used the Official daily rate in April.

I have refused to let Marriott Hotels use their self serving exchange rate,
and refuse to accept or pay it, while insisting on using the US dollar rate quoted for the Credit Card. :rolleyes: Or exchange the dollar for Reias at a Cambio and pay in cash! Fortunately many stays have been on awards!

I am certain Marriott Corp will say, it is the decision of each hotel
in the different countries, which they have no control of.
Many guests just go ahead and pay it or don't even look at it after the bill is slipped under the door!!

A little walk around the corner to a Cambio makes it worth while for large amounts of USD$ cash. :D

Do you mean by Credit Card the option you are given at checkout to pay your bill in USD or local currency ? If so you may find out they have suckered you as the exchange rate offered is usuallly a preferential rate. I always pay in local currency and let my bank apply their rate. I hae found some significant differences from the hom currency amount offered by the hotel and the one that finally hits my card from the local currency amount.

No, I am not suckered, even when they have much trouble understanding, when I tell them the error of trying to bill my credit card at a 1.85$ Rias per their dollar exchange rate for example. Plus there is a 1% Service + 2%Transaction fee added by the Banks in the past.
If they want to put local currency down on the credit card, they should do it at the official rate of exchange. NOT the special Marriott rate! .

Interesting, when you make the reservation, rate is quoted in US$, but their hotel billing is in the local currency and they then convert at their 'special' rat to our disadvantage.

Sorry if this is confusing like at the Front Desk on Check Out and the Clerk has trouble understanding what you are trying to explain. Certainly Management knows and is usually NOT around at that time.

Can't speak for the Sao Paulo property, but when I pay in local currency in the UK & Europe the exchange rate that comes through on the credit card bill matches the XE rate. Also rates at UK/Europe properties are quoted in the local currency on the website.

Banks adding a service charge on their credit cards has nothing to do w/ Marriott.

Cheers.

This is what I mean about the hotel exchange rate:

When you book a room at this hotel at marriott.com, they only give you an option to book a room rate in US$ (and not in Brazilian Reais), at least when you log on from the US. However let's say for simplicity sake, the rate reserved was $200 a night and the exchange rate on XE was US$1 = R$2 and you stayed 5 nights, for a total of US$1000 + tax, or R$2000 + tax. However the hotel would exchange the rate at US$1 = R$2.1 and charge R$2100 + tax for the 5 night stay. You can say it's only ~ US$10 extra per night, but it's the principle that matters in using the most accurate exchange rate. Would the front desk have exchanged US$1 @ R$2.1 if a guest wanted to exchange US dollars cash into Brazilan Reais? Probably not. I am sure they would only fudge the exchange rate in their favor and probably only give US$1 @ R$1.9 if one wanted to exchange US dollars to Reais. Sort of like how the foreign currency exchange places at the airport charge a big spread between buy and sell.

In most European and Asian hotels, the reservation is in local currency, so there is no argument at check-out as to what exchange rate they used. Or if you book a room in US$, then on check-out, have the final bill charged in US$. I know other Marriott hotels in South America use US$ for booking, but in my previous experience with JW Rio and Marriott Buenos Aires, their exchange rates were in line with rates from XE.

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/a...me-art-large_0


If you select local currency your bank will apply the rate. If you select 'their' conversion to USD you will invariably pay more. My practice is to always pay in the local currency. I have many times looked at what they offered on the home currency and on every occasion they were higher.

Foreign Hotel exchange rates- unfavorable!
 

If you have a Charge of 2000$R and convert at the official rate = $1000.00 US.

If it is converted at the Marriott rate of 1.85$R/1US$ = $1080.00 US.
That comes to $80.00 more in their favor. :(
The difference adds up pretty fast for longer stays.
!
Your Tip to the hotel for using their exchange rate. :td:

Suggest you bring it to Marriott HQ's attention. It says this on the website:

"All prices are quoted in USD. Charges are payable in the local currency at applicable official tourism exchange rate."

Cheers.

"local currency at applicable official tourism exchange rate." ?
 

Marriott Corp does not own the hotels, they just manage them.

Rio Marriott was sold to a Brazilian Corp about 4-5 years ago!
The currency exchange rates in the hotels are a local decision. :td:

I had the same experience at the early opening of the JW Cancun hotel.

Buyer beware! :rolleyes:

Well you've made the point several times, so anyone reading this thread is now aware. Thanks for the update & warning.

Cheers.

Ive read through the posts but still cannot grasp this: What is the best way to get to the hotel from the GRU airport? I will be there in late September for 5 nights.

I saw this on their website which is crazy!
Airport shuttle service, reservation required, fee: 150 USD (one way)

since the hotel car comes out to the airport empty they are charging you a typical taxi round-trip fare.........easy/cheaper just to get a taxi one-way at the airport which averages $60, but get a phone number for the taxi to take you back to the airport otherwise you'll get the hotel car ripoff fare........
GRU was talking about implementing a flat fee GRU-CBD but that was 2-yrs ago and don't know if they actually implemented it........