South America's Most Surprising Hotel: The Unique In Sao Paulo | Forbes
The Unique in São Paulo won me over - and convinced me that its name is deserved - when I took a dip in the indoor pool. The easiest way in is trip down a water slide, into the multihued pool (blue! yellow!) with its underwater music, bubbling submerged chaises, and video-projection screen on the wall. This is Brazil at its most freewheeling, fun-loving, colorful best.
Of course, the hotel’s most unique feature is its decidedly unusual façade. Designed by Brazilian starchitect Ruy Ohtake, the ark-like building is widely known by locals as “the watermelon” (and rumor has it that it had to be built twice, as the cantilevered engineering didn’t quite cut it the first time around). But that’s a term of endearment, and the rooftop bar/restaurant is a popular watering hole/power lunch spot.