💡
tl;dr – The JW Marriott Hotel São Paulo punches above its weight and is a solid luxury points hotel in a city that lacks many options. The rooms are comfortable, the club is excellent, and the amenities are inviting. One consideration to keep in mind is location – São Paulo is a large, spread-out city, and the JW is a car ride (or a long walk away) from some of the more popular attractions. Otherwise, this hotel is a great value, especially if you book a rate that includes club access or are otherwise eligible to receive complimentary access to the club, or of course, if you’re redeeming points!
São Paulo, by most estimates, is the fourth largest city in the world. It’s a metropolis in every sense – it’s a business hub, has immense historical significance, is a destination for sightseeing and solid food, and, with a vibrant art scene, is a cultural center. I’ve always been surprised by the city’s relative lack of luxury hotels. There are, of course, some solid options: the Rosewood, Fasano, Oetker’s Palácio Tangará, Tivoli Mofarrej, Pulso Faria Lima, Hotel Unique, and Emiliano São Paulo. Still, I’ve always been surprised there isn’t a rolodex of luxury brands (say like a Bangkok or Istanbul) for a city of its size, and this dearth extends to upper-market point hotels. A roll call of the ‘core-four’ chains reveals the following upmarket options: Hilton-ers, in addition to SLH’s Emiliano, have a namesake Hilton, or the Qoya Hotel São Paulo by Curio; IHG fans can cozy up at the Intercontinental; Hyatt loyalists can slumber at the Grand Hyatt; and those on a Bonvoyage (sorry, won’t happen again) have the JW Marriott São Paulo, though if you’re particularly ‘edgy’ a mysterious new W might be your jam. This review is of my five-night stay at the JW Marriott São Paulo in July of 2024 – let’s jump into it.
Booking the JW Marriott Hotel São Paulo
To book the JW Marriott Hotel São Paulo, I took advantage of Marriott’s famed 4+1 deal, where when redeeming points for four consecutive nights, you get a fifth night free. A PointSavers promotion made this redemption even more compelling, as I spent 108,000 points for five nights in a Deluxe King room for two adults. The cash rate(with taxes) would have run me $1,542, so for those keeping score at home, this represented a pretty solid redemption rate.
Getting In and Location
It will take you roughly one hour by car to get to the JW from São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU). We hopped off our American Airlines Flagship First flight, cleared customs, collected our luggage, and hailed an Uber to the hotel. Our flight was overnight, and we arrived just after 5 am local time. Between collecting our belongings and transiting to the hotel, I figured we’d arrive sometime between 7 am and 8 am. I hoped that with Platinum status, we’d get lucky and get into the room (or at least the lounge) upon arrival.
The JW Marriott is located in the Chácara Santo Antônio neighborhood of São Paulo, a financial district. It’s set apart from some of the trendier neighborhoods, popular museums, parks, and attractions. Thus, you may want to factor in a 20-25-minute car ride when mapping out destinations, or if you love walking like me, a few hours tromp in either direction.
We pulled up right in front of the main lobby entrance. It’s a 258-room operation that opened in mid-2022 and is just a few years old. The lobby has a sleek, hip design. The front desk and concierge kiosks are situated to the right, and straight ahead, you’ll find the bar in front of a spiral staircase that leads to some meeting rooms. Lots of light gets into the space.
Lobby photos – Source: Marriott.com
To my delight, we were able to get into the room and were upgraded to an Executive Suite King.
The Room
The suite was solid. By no means was it the biggest suite I’d ever been in, but a complimentary upgrade is always dope, and I’m always grateful for the additional space a suite affords. Here’s a blazing quick walkthrough of the living area and bedroom.
Executive Suite Room – Source: You Are Travel
The bathroom was spacious, with a deep soaking tub, a closeted toilet, and an enclosed shower. Two sinks helped spread things out.
Bathroom furnishings – Source: You Are Travel
The bed was super comfortable, and that came in handy. Mrs. Blackbeard and I each had separate days when we weren’t feeling too hot and stayed in bed for extended periods of time. The bed made it easy to get some restful sleep, which aided our speedy recoveries.
There are illy® machines for your morning or evening coffee and Twining tea selections. L’Occitane bath and grooming products will help keep you fresh.
In room coffee and tea offerings and bath products – Source: You Are Travel
At check-in, elites are offered an amenity choice of points or a welcome gift (breakfast is included for free in the club for Bonvoy Platinums or higher), and unsurprisingly, I went with the wine.
We also received this card and gift with turndown one night. One guess what type of nuts they were.
Vibes / Grounds / Amenities
The amenities of this hotel are where this hotel shines. I love me a standout hotel gym, and this was a solid one. It was spacious and had ample offerings for both strength and cardio workouts. There was also a sizeable yoga-barre-style room, a great space for HIIT, jumping rope, or anything requiring more space. One thing to note – I believe the gym, spa, and pool area are available via membership to locals (or possibly residents of a nearby building), so while I never was in the gym with more than three other people, there could potentially be more traffic in there at certain times of the day.
Yoga-Barre Room – Source: You Are Travel
The wet area was my favorite part of this hotel. Featuring a sizable indoor-outdoor pool with a heated pool spacious enough for both laps and lounging, guests can enjoy a relaxing dip year-round. If you plan to post up (or you’re waiting for a spa treatment), you can rest on the poolside loungers and order some bites to enjoy.
Inside the locker rooms, there’s a small but powerful steam room for a cleansing sweat.
Steam room in the men’s locker room – Source: You Are Travel
In one of the spa’s bathrooms, I noticed a little bit of mold growing from what appeared to be moisture buildup in the wall, though the facilities were clean and well-maintained everywhere else.
I didn’t get spa service, so I can’t speak to the quality. That said, I spent a good amount of time in the gym and pools and found them enjoyable.
Just outside the hotel is the Pinheiros River. It isn’t the cleanest river but there is a park alongside it and jogging (or walking) paths if you like to get your steps in.
Take a bridge to get the jogging path – Source: You Are Travel
Dining & the Club Lounge
Outside of breakfast in the lounge and the evening happy hours, my other dining experiences at the hotel were limited as we planned to check out a few lauded restaurants around the city. As such, I didn’t get to check out Neto, the hotel’s flagship (and only) restaurant, nor did I try any drinks at the bar. Neto does have reasonably strong reviews, for what it’s worth, and on some nights there is live music in the bar area.
Photos of Restaurante Neto and living music at the bar – Source: You Are Travel
I did placed one room service order one evening, which was tasty.
The club lounge is located on the 12th floor of the hotel. It’s spacious and offers excellent views of the surrounding area. Whether you’re in town for business and need meeting space or are otherwise looking for a place to get some work done, the club lounge is perfect for both.
A walkthrough of the Club Lounge – Source: You Are Travel
The club offers a buffet-style breakfast, afternoon snacks, and an evening ‘happy hour’ that is robust enough to be dinner.
For breakfast, you can choose from a smattering of fruit, pastries, cheese and meats, yogurts, scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage. Sparkling wine is available if you’d like to make your meal a brunch.
Breakfast display in the club – Source: You Are Travel
The evening presentation rotated daily, and everything was impressive. You can expect a consistent offering of meats, cheeses, breads, salads, and a few hot hor’dourves. One night, there were even raw oysters, which were outstanding. A handful of smooth wines are available to accompany your bites.
Evening presentation at the club – Source: You Are Travel
The club food was delicious, and I was surprised by how much effort was put into the offerings, particularly for a city hotel. It’s clear the team has an eye for both the business traveler who may not have the time to dine out and the leisure traveler in town for a vacation. If you’re not big into food or simply looking to save a few bucks, you could absolutely get by with just the breakfast and evening offerings available in the club.
Service
The service throughout the hotel was strong, in a stealthy way. I didn’t have many face-to-face interactions, but the few times I called down to ask a question or request something (I called for an iron and ironing board once), it was attended to quickly. The team did a great job recognizing status.
Takeaways
I enjoyed my stay at the JW Marriott Hotel São Paulo and would revisit the property. Given the hotel’s amenities, food offerings, and service, it’s a no-brainer, particularly at its price point (or redemption costs). If you like to stay right in the ‘thick of it all’ or travel with kids where logistics can be an issue, then its location might be a drawback for you, and you should consider this. Otherwise, this hotel is a strong option for any visit to São Paulo.
