Melia Paulista

A modern, urban hotel with upscale elements, the Melia has an energetic atmosphere, in keeping with its location on vibrant Paulista Avenue, Sao Paulo's main artery. With its on-site conference rooms and location near numerous companies and financial institutions, the hotel attracts a largely business clientele. But tourists are drawn here too by the relatively reasonable rates, clean and modern rooms, fitness center, restaurant, and location in the heart of the Sao Paulo action. Guests gather in the lobby, restaurant, and bar. The lobby and bar are small for a hotel this size (398 rooms) and can sometimes get crowded.

Locations for Sao Paulo hotels don't come much better than this. The Melia Paulista is located right on Paulista Avenue, within a short walk of numerous shops, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and cultural venues. The Consolacao metro station is next door, giving easy access to points beyond. It's an eight-minute walk southeast of the hotel to the Sao Paulo Museum of Art, and Ibirapuera Park and the Museu de Arte Moderna are a 10-minute drive south. The Praca da Se central square area with the Sao Paulo Cathedral and Palace of Justice is a 10-minute drive northeast, and is also a quick metro ride away. Morumbi soccer stadium is a 20-minute drive southwest of the hotel, and Sao Paulo International Airport is a 30-minute drive northeast.

The 398 rooms at the Melia are situated on 23 floors. Despite the building's height, views from the rooms are largely of skyscrapers and other city buildings. Rooms are fairly spacious, ranging in size from 290 to 540 square feet. The decor is contemporary, with fairly comfortable cotton bedding. Amenities include magnetic card entry, electronic Do Not Disturb signs, desks, in-room safes, minibars, free Wi-Fi, and 32-inch flat-screen TVs with a good range of satellite channels. Most rooms do not have in-room irons and/or coffee/teamakers. Some rooms have some combination of fold-out Murphy beds, sitting areas with sofa beds, a second 42-inch flat-panel TV, a pillow menu, and bathrobes and slippers. Smoking and non-smoking rooms are available. Rooms are clean, have good black-out drapes to keep morning light out, and are quiet except for occasional traffic noise in lower-floor rooms that face Paulista Avenue. Some rooms could use some renovating, as there are occasional cleanliness and maintenance problems with tile and grout in the bathrooms, as well as the carpets, wallpaper, and room air-conditioning systems.

The Melia's facilities are disappointingly limited for a hotel of its size. It lacks a pool, sauna, steam room, spa, and outdoor terrace. The fitness center is of an adequate size, but some of the equipment needs to be repaired, replaced, or updated. The restaurant offers a solid menu of contemporary Brazilian and international cuisine in a brightly lit modern space. The breakfast buffet (for a fee) has a made-to-order egg station and a good selection of hot and cold items. Room service runs from early morning to late evening. The lobby bar offers live music and a wide variety of beer, wine, and cocktails, but it can get crowded at times. Also on-site at the Melia are a business center, meeting rooms with catering, laundry service, and covered parking (for a fee). Service is generally solid, but not every staff member speaks English. The hotel has concierge service but not a full-time concierge, like many other Sao Paulo hotels.