The megalopolis of São Paulo, Brazil has, for all its mighty history, lacked a genuine grande dame hotel – until now. We take a first look at the game-changing conversion of a palatial mansion by the tastemakers behind Le Bristol and Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc.
São Paulo is a melting pot of futuristic cityscapes and unbelievable traffic. This mighty megalopolis can easily give the impression of a place only for fast and furious, yet even this most frenetic of cities has its oases of calm and cultural heritage. The new 11-hectare extension of parkland named after a renowned Brazilian landscape designer who laid out its sumptuous central section in the 1950s, preserving for the city a priceless swathe of Atlantic forest.
Where the Tangará really excels is in its open, publi spaces, to which they have applied a richly personal artistic narrative. Flooring is a key element of the look, alternating cream-coloured limestone, mottled brown marble, Brazilian sucupira wood herringbone parquet and huge carpets handmade in India to her exacting specifications. Every detail tells a story: the stone feature wall of the Burle Bar and its gold shelf supports are a comment on the colonial history of Minas Gerais, while the faded blues and greens of the upholstery take inspiration from the watercolours of 18th-century adventurer Jean-Baptiste Debret. In Anastassiadis’ hands the hotel has been made practically a museum of modern Brazilian art and design. There is much to admire here, from the found-wood pieces by Hugo França to Fernando Arias’ tapestries, Araquém Alcântara’s Amazon rainforest photographs and Laura Vinci’s stunning “lightless chandelier” for the ballroom’s grand staircase.
Prizes to the Palacio Tangara are accompanied with flights, transfers, spending money and a host of experiences on offer both at the hotel and the city itself. Contact us for more details.