Stayed at the London Othon Flat(s) for 4 nights in mid-February 2008. I had done my research before booking, and was blown away by this place: very modern 17-storey building on a leafy street only two blocks south of avenida Paulista. For my standard room rate, I got a complete (small) apartment, with living room & dining area, balcony, see-through counter bar/chairs into well-equipped kitchen, nice size bathroom & bedroom - 2 single beds, large closets, etc. My place was on the 11th floor with an expansive view to the south: knowing the layout, it seems to me that any floor above about 7 or 8 would have a view. The staff - shift managers & doormen - were extremely accomodating & friendly (most English speaking) - everyone had great suggestions about the city. The 17th floor rooftop has a two-level wood deck, nice lounge chairs, tables, shower, etc. open to the sky, with bathrooms, fitness room & other facilities inside. The pool is small but very refreshing when you're sunning on a hot deck. The location is fabulous, in the Jardins district of this mega-city - definitely a hip location: close to tons of indoor & outdoor great restaurants (reasonably priced), cafes of all kinds, a Starbucks 3 blocks away. Ave. Paulista is the equivalent of the "Golden Mile" in Chicago or 5th Ave. in NYC - BUT there are no stores of any size or reputation. There are dozens of stores on Rua Augusta, about 8-9 blocks west - great prices. Then there's Rua Oscar Freire (3-4 blocks further south), with block after block of more expensive shops. Beware that this whole section of SP is "hilly" - mostly the north-south streets in this area are on a 10-15 degree incline, with the east-west streets much less so. The closest subway stop is at Brigadeiro - only 3 blocks from London Othon, and the SP subway is clean, very modern & efficient, with 4 main lines running near most anywhere you'd want to go. In both Rio de Janeiro the week before - and in SP - I found that the whole North American notion of South America being unsafe & riddled with thugs is way, way OVERBLOWN: no tourist or visitor is going to go anywhere even close to problem areas - they're all so far removed from the "beaten path." As with most hotels in non-U.S. or Canadian cities, getting ice for the hotel room was problematic because ice-machines are non-existent. Although the London Othon has a front restaurant attached (very nice complimentary breakfast, which I only availed once) where I could have small quantities, I got around it by walking 3 blocks east to the Petrobas gas station, where I bought big bags & stored same in my kitchen's freezer. In summary, my choice of the London Othon - sight unseen, but with the aid of Trip Advisor & other web sites - was one of the most exceptional decisions I've made in recent years. Go for it.
