The Casa Grande Hotel Resort and Spa is decorated with the kind of squeaky clean white that makes it feel like you're the first person to stay. White pillars and ornate banisters give the façade an embassy-like feeling of authority, and the spotless linens leave you feeling cleaner than when you went to bed.
Stationed on the seafront of Sao Paulo's Guarujá district, the hotel forms the center of the tourist quarter. At weekends the long stretch of white sand beach is sprinkled with locals playing soccer, eating fresh seafood or working on an impressive tan. To join the throng without being conspicuous, oil up and pretend that the midday heat is as natural to you as breathing.
Before leaving the Casa Grande Hotel Resort and Spa, spend an afternoon floating on your back in the outdoor pool watching the palm trees swaying above you. Let the accommodating staff bring you a bright cocktail without moving from your watery bed and listen to other guests dissecting last night's antics.