Although I rarely spend more than a couple of nights in the city, I frequently travel through São Paulo. Usually, I choose to stay at the Pergamon SP Frei Caneca. I believe it offers a good balance between location and value for money.
Pergamon SP Frei Caneca Location
I’m still always impressed by just how vast São Paulo is. The location you choose to stay in can make a huge difference to your overall experience of the city. The Pergamon SP Frei Caneca boasts an excellent location. You’re close to the city’s main avenue – Avenida Paulista – while also being in a good location to enjoy São Paulo’s nightlife.
As the name would suggest, the hotel is located on Rua Frei Caneca. This is an important LGBT street in São Paulo and it’s also home to a fairly large shopping centre, which can be convenient. A taxi from São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport takes around thirty minutes, depending on traffic.
Accor Status Recognition
I’ve stayed at the Pergamon SP Frei Caneca four or five times over the last couple of years. During this time, I’ve always found the hotel to be very consistent. Most recently, I was staying here before my flight with Aeromexico. I always book the cheapest room available – a standard double – but have always been upgraded to a deluxe room as a ALL Platinum member.
Additionally, the Accor welcome drink voucher is always provided, as is a small welcome gift. I should also mention at this point that the staff members at the hotel have always been very pleasant – and the service is consistently good.
The Room at the Pergamon SP Frei Caneca
As mentioned, I’ve always been upgraded to a deluxe room. The main difference between a standard and deluxe room is the size. There isn’t a great deal of difference in the facilities offered. For example, none of the rooms have a Nespresso machine. Also, no complimentary water is provided, which seems a bit mean. There is a minibar, however, the prices are expensive and don’t represent particularly good value.
This aside, I’ve always found the overall quality to be good. The rooms do look a little dated and could do with a refresh. This said, they’re perfectly comfortable, and everything is always clean and well-maintained. If you need to get some work done during your stay, I’ve always found the Pergamon SP Frei Caneca to be a comfortable place to work from. The desk and chair are fairly comfortable to use, and most importantly, the internet consistently works well!
The bathroom is again a little dated, however, everything works well and the provided amenities were all of a good quality.
Other facilities at the Pergamon SP Frei Caneca
This is a small hotel, and has more of a business feel to it. In other words, it doesn’t have a great deal of personality, nor is there much to do other than use it as a place to get some rest. In the context of São Paulo, I don’t see this as a particularly bad thing. After all, you’re unlikely to be planning to spend a great deal of time in the hotel other than sleeping and it certainly hasn’t been designed as a destination in itself.
The hotel does feature a bar and restaurant which is open until 11pm daily. I’ve only tried the breakfast, and it was very good. I visited the bar to redeem my welcome drink, and again, it was perfectly fine. In truth, because of the hotel’s location, eating and drinking out is likely to always be a more interesting option, and I suspect this is why the hotel hasn’t made more of an effort with its bar and restaurant spaces.
In addition, there is a small fitness area – although I haven’t tried this out.
Recommended?
Overall, I’ve always enjoyed my stays at the Pergamon SP Frei Caneca. Officially, it’s a four-star hotel and it meets what you’d expect from this level. While it could benefit from some modernisation, and doesn’t have a huge number of facilities, the location is superb and the experience is always consistent.
It’s also worth noting that this tends to be, in my opinion, one of the best-value Accor options in the city. Typically, I’ve paid between €55 and €75 a night for my stays. I’ve always felt that this has represented excellent value. It’s a great location from which to explore São Paulo. Usually, I’m staying here because I have a flight from São Paulo-Guarulhos, and it’s always been a comfortable place to relax.
