Rosewood São Paulo: Cidade Matarazzo vertical forest palace by Jean Nouvel & Philippe Starck with Taraz dining, 2 pools, and Asaya Spa

Reigning with striking vertical forest skyscraper architectural majesty designed by Pritzker Prize-winning master architect Jean Nouvel and transformed by artistic director Philippe Starck and Brazilian grand palace nobility in the historic Cidade Matarazzo enclave of Bela Vista, São Paulo, Brazil (just steps from Paulista Avenue, MASP museum, and Jardins luxury shopping, 30 minutes from Congonhas Airport and 45 minutes from Guarulhos Airport), Rosewood São Paulo opened in 2022 as South America’s premier urban luxury sanctuary, arts destination, and grand palace. Ranked as the Best Hotel in South America by The World’s 50 Best Hotels and celebrating consecutive Forbes Five-Star ratings across both hotel and spa, the 160-room luxury palace is wrapped in a 100-metre vertical forest tower planted with over 250 native Brazilian trees, restored 1904 Italianate maternity hospital heritage buildings, and over 450 site-specific artworks by 57 contemporary Brazilian artists. Centered around Executive Chef-curated dining institutions including the acclaimed South American fire-grill institution Taraz and French-Brazilian brasserie Le Jardin, two heated outdoor freshwater swimming pools lined with custom emerald-green tiles, the sultry Rabo di Galo jazz lounge, and the palatial Forbes Five-Star Asaya Spa, this property is the Paulistano Metropolis’ ultimate modern grand dame palace.

Arrival introduces travelers to unvarnished Brazilian cosmopolitan glamour and Cidade Matarazzo historic splendour: liveried Rosewood Butlers greet guests beneath Jean Nouvel’s soaring hanging garden canopy on Alameda Rio Claro before entering Philippe Starck’s luminous reception salon lined with indigenous Brazilian hardwoods, hand-painted ceramic murals, signature Amazonian rosewood scent, and chilled local artisanal caipirinhas or Champagne with warm pão de queijo and artisanal canapés. Day-one logistics focus on coordinating bespoke São Paulo cultural, art, and architecture pursuits: taking private guided walking tours through Lina Bo Bardi’s iconic suspended MASP museum on Paulista Avenue (steps away), private guided gallery walks through Cidade Matarazzo’s 450-piece contemporary Brazilian art collection (in resort), private VIP shopping consultations arranged along the haute couture boutiques of Rua Oscar Freire in Jardins (5 minutes away), swimming across the rooftop pool framing the skyline, indulging in rainforest botanical therapies at the Forbes Five-Star Asaya Spa, listening to live bossa nova over artisanal cachaça cocktails in Rabo di Galo, and reserving a fire-lit courtyard table for dinner at Taraz.

Palace living balances active São Paulo metropolis discovery with serene rainforest garden sanctuary wellness: Asaya Spa features private luxury treatment suites, crystal hydrotherapy vitality pools, Finnish saunas, steam rooms, two heated outdoor swimming pools (including the rooftop infinity pool), and therapies utilizing organic Amazonian oils, guaraná, and ESPA skincare. Dining is an extraordinary South American-French culinary summit across 6 venues: elevated open-flame regional gastronomy at Taraz (celebrated for churrasco steaks, fresh ceviches, cassava flatbreads, and Brazilian Grand Crus), refined brasserie dining at Le Jardin, poolside lunches at Bela Vista, cocktails and jazz at Rabo di Galo, afternoon tea in the salon, and 24-hour in-room royal dining.

Accommodations comprise 160 rooms and luxury executive suites split between the historic 1904 Filomena building and the Jean Nouvel Forest Tower styled by Philippe Starck in warm Brazilian jacarandá boiserie, bespoke custom leather and stone furnishings, deep freestanding marble soaking bathtubs with embedded TV mirrors, private dressing rooms, and large picture windows or lush planted terraces framing the São Paulo skyline ranging from 45 to 300 square metres (including the Matarazzo Suite). Each residence features plush king beds with custom linens, and marble bathrooms with deep soaking bathtubs, embedded TV mirrors, and custom organic Brazilian amenities.

Jean Nouvel architecture devotees, Philippe Starck admirers, and luxury travelers seeking São Paulo Bela Vista location, two pools, and Best in South America standing should book Rosewood São Paulo without hesitation. Grounded review consensus confirms legendary standing with a 5.0 out of 5 on Tripadvisor across 14,800 reviews and a 5.0 out of 5 on Google across 24,200 reviews.