Hotel Unique
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Jardim Paulista
Vibe
A soaring lobby displaying modern art and a towering spirits wall leads to hushed, dark corridors overhead.
“Sculptural copper showpiece”
A copper-clad inverted crescent structure featuring curved hallway corridors, high lobby ceilings, and oversized circular porthole windows.
Welcome champagne at arrival, bedside evening coconuts, complimentary Havaianas, and soaking tubs with sliding glass partitions.
Evening DJ sessions and caipirinhas draw crowds to the crimson-lit rooftop Skye Bar and soaring lobby lounge, The Wall.
In leafy Jardim Paulista, minutes from Ibirapuera Park and the cultural sights of the Jardins district.
“those porthole windows are a Unique signature, and the rooms at the end of each floor follow the curve of the building’s exterior with dramatic results.”
Rooms
Rooms follow the building's dramatic curve, illuminated by oversized porthole windows with sliding panels and soaking tubs.
“Unique by name and by design, São Paulo’s Hotel Unique resembles the looming hull of a ship, with port holes for windows...”
Wellness
An open-air crimson rooftop pool plays underwater music, while basement pools feature waterslides alongside dry and steam saunas.
“João Armentano’s contemporary interiors are vaguely Jetsonian, all shiny white-on-white and polished wood, with surround-sound speakers hidden in headboards.”
Backstory
Architect Ruy Ohtake sculpted the building in 2002 as a massive, copper-clad inverted crescent propped on concrete pillars.
“Just a year later came the Hotel Unique, an iconic building and boutique hotel by Ruy Ohtake – its ‘unique’ form still helping to define the cityscape.”
Eat & drink
Skye pairs panoramic skyline views and DJ sessions with French-Brazilian cooking, while The Wall anchors the lobby.
“Unique it is, this modern ship-shaped hotel completed by prolific Paulistano architect Ruy Ohtake in 2002.”
The neighborhood
Set in leafy Jardim Paulista, the hotel sits a five-minute walk from Ibirapuera Park and the Museum of Modern Art.
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The app
This is one hotel. The app has every one we rate, in your pocket, for the whole trip.
Our shorthand
What makes a hotel special, how well they pull it off, and what it feels like outside the door.
How well they pull it off
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
They did this well. You’ll notice.
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Architecture and interiors lead. There’s a creative vision at work.
The guest is conspicuously well cared for. Requests met before they’re made.
Rooted in place. Local character runs through the whole stay.
Energy and scene. Where the city goes out, whether or not it’s sleeping here.
A building with history. The story of the place is part of the stay.
Built around feeling better. Rest, sweat, soak, spa.
A hotel the city grew up with. Same rituals, same regulars.
A world of its own. No reason to leave the property.
Scene — what’s outside the door
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
A place apart: the property is the destination.