Gensler‘s renovation of the Grand Hyatt São Paulo reimagines the 476-key convention hotel into a hospitality destination inspired by the intersection of nature, culture, and contemporary luxury.
Located within São Paulo’s corporate district and connected to a major conference centre, the property serves a diverse mix of business travelers and international guests. The renovation reimagines the hotel’s public spaces and guestrooms through the concept of an Urban Rainforest, bringing the richness of Brazil’s natural landscape into one of the world’s largest urban environments.
The design also draws inspiration from the Grand Hyatt brand itself. Throughout the renovation, the design team sought to create moments of visual impact and discovery, ensuring that everywhere guests look, they encounter a bold architectural gesture, striking focal point, or immersive material experience worthy of the brand.
At the centre of the transformation is a complete renovation of the ground floor, including the reception area, lobby bar, lift lobbies, all-day dining venue, sushi bar and café, and outdoor terrace furnishings. The original interiors were characterised by a cold, brutalist palette of raw stone and heavy materials that felt disconnected from both the energy of São Paulo and the hospitality experience guests expect from a five-star destination. The new design replaces that formality with warmth, flexibility, and a stronger sense of place.
Inspired by São Paulo’s lush rainforest, the design brings the outdoors inside through materiality, texture, light, and form. Warm walnut wood emphasises verticality throughout the space, evoking the trunks of towering trees, while sculptural lighting installations create the feeling of a canopy overhead. A custom reception backdrop draws inspiration from the textures of tree bark, while layered finishes and organic detailing reinforce the connection to nature throughout the guest journey.
The lobby was designed to function as an activated social destination throughout the day rather than simply a point of arrival. Flexible seating arrangements, inviting lounge environments, and integrated F&B experiences encourage guests to linger, work, meet, and socialize. Partnerships with local culinary operators further strengthen the connection to São Paulo’s culture, creating authentic experiences that reflect the city while enhancing the hotel’s hospitality offering.
The concept of Art Through Nature serves as a secondary layer of the design narrative, inspiring opportunities for artistic expression rooted in natural forms, patterns, and textures. This approach creates a rich and immersive environment that feels both contemporary and distinctly Brazilian, while maintaining the sophistication of a Grand Hyatt property.
The story continues throughout the hotel’s 476 guestrooms and suites, where the Urban Rainforest concept is translated into a more intimate, residential experience. Developed through two full-scale model rooms, the guestroom design builds upon the public space palette while introducing softer layers of comfort and refinement. Rich materiality, custom furnishings, textured wall treatments, and integrated artwork create spaces that feel warm, luxurious, and highly personal.
Guestrooms feature custom banquette seating, thoughtfully integrated media walls, and innovative storage solutions that reinterpret traditional brand standards to maximize functionality within the available footprint. Locally sourced Brazilian stone becomes a defining feature within the bathrooms, where glass-enclosed showers create jewel-box moments within the room and elevate the guest experience through carefully crafted material contrasts.
The design language extends into the elevator lobbies and corridors through custom-designed carpeting inspired by woven botanical forms and rainforest foliage. Suites further expand upon the guestroom palette, incorporating features such as fluted glass television walls, richly textured headboards, oversized vanities, and enhanced material detailing. At the pinnacle of the experience, the Presidential Suite introduces a darker, moodier expression of luxury that delivers a uniquely elevated hospitality environment.
