Designed by architect Jean Nouvel and artistic director Philippe Starck, the hotel is part of Cidade Matarazzo, a grand new “mixed-used lifestyle hub” in the Brazilian city where preserved buildings house private residences, high-end stores and entertainment venues.

The Cidade Matarazzo project is set to be completed in 2023 and is the vision of entrepreneur Alexandre Allard. Said to be “a love letter to Brazil”, Cidade Matarazzo will also house a theatre, exhibition space, 34 restaurants, fashion shows, the city’s first department store and plans to use permaculture farms outside the city to source all restaurant produce.

Rosewood Sao Paulo occupies Matarazzo Maternity, a restored historic former hospital, and a new “vertical garden” tower.

Key to the transformation of the heritage buildings is the sustainability approach, with Cidade Matarazzo becoming Brazil’s largest upcycling initiative, whereby all materials used are either locally sourced or upcycled.

Further sustainable features include a biodiversity programme that repopulates indigenous flora and fauna from the Mata Atlantica rainforest, including 250 trees up to 14 metres in height placed vertically on the Mata Atlantica Tower. 

Rosewood Sao Paulo has also committed to use 100% renewable energy within a year, including on-site solar panels and renewable-sourced energy. The hotel is free of single-use plastics, and has an in-house water filtration system to produce glass bottled water for guest consumption.  

There are 160 rooms and suites – along with 100 Private Rosewood Suites available for sale – two pools, a cinema, a music studio and event space, while Asaya, Rosewood’s integrative wellbeing concept, is slated to open later this year and will be the first outpost of the concept in the western hemisphere.

The hotel is also home to a unique collection of 450 site-specific pieces by 57 local artists.

“It has been a true honour to help bring such a unique hotel project to life in one of the world’s most dynamic cities,” said managing director of the hotel, Edouard Grosmangin.

“The team behind Rosewood Sao Paulo has spent a decade on this project to ensure it honours and celebrates the heritage of the city while breathing new life into the destination. In doing so we’ve created a hotel that is a true love letter to the city, the nation, and its people.”

The hotel has six dining venues, from Le Jardin – serving modern cuisine 24 hours a day – to Blaise, inspired by French-Swiss novelist Blaise Cendrars, and Taraz, highlighting South American cuisine and wood-fired cooking under chef Felipe Bronze. 

Additional outlets include Rabo di Galo, a bar inspired by jazz clubs of the 1930s featuring a hand-drawn ceiling artwork by Rodrigo de Azevedo Saad who spent 68 hours on the piece, and The Emerald Garden Pool & Bar, with a tropical setting offering family-friendly fare.

The pool area is also home to Belavista Rooftop Pool & Bar, an exclusive adults-only space with panoramic views of the city. 

Within the grounds is also the Chapel of Santa Luzia, another historic building restored to retain its ornate architecture from 1922, and the 100-year old building can now be used for weddings and celebrations.

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts now has 29 hotels in 17 countries, with 24 new properties under development.