Sao Paulo Reports

[QUOTE=MagnumPI;2725019]I'm curious is anyone has an opinion about the quality of the experience of Scandallo vs Cafe Photo. I have read a lot of posts from fellow mongers raving about Scandallo, but I haven't seen much on Cafe Photo. I'll be traveling next week to So Paulo, and my hotel is roughly 10 min from Cafe Photo while Scandallo is 40 min away. Is it worth the extra 30 min drive to get to Scandallo or is Cafe Photo basically the same?[/QUOTE]The old Cafe Photo (now the Lotus Club) was a must-do club for me (have not been to the new location yet). The old location is where I found this one: [POST]2720488[/POST]. All that said, there is no substitute for Scandallo. It's a unique destination that virtually no other place in the world can match for the kind of facilities and atmosphere there. So to answer the last of your questions posed in a word (is Cafe Photo basically the same). No! At least not at the old site it isn't, which again is now known as the Lotus Club.

[QUOTE=TheCane;2725234]The old Cafe Photo (now the Lotus Club) was a must-do club for me (have not been to the new location yet). The old location is where I found this one: [POST]2720488[/POST]. All that said, there is no substitute for Scandallo. It's a unique destination that virtually no other place in the world can match for the kind of facilities and atmosphere there. So to answer the last of your questions posed in a word (is Cafe Photo basically the same). No! At least not at the old site it isn't, which again is now known as the Lotus Club.[/QUOTE]Thanks much for the info. Seems like the extra distance on the car ride may be worth it. What about Bomboa vs Scandallo? Same as Lotus Club?

During the last 18 months, I've been to the new Cafe Photo (at 1515) about 5 x and Scandallo about 25 x.

Although both clubs aim to attract the high end clientele, they are quite different. The new Cafe Photo is renovated nicely, but much smaller than Scandallo. You can sit in the main lounge and see almost everyone, except those in the second floor (restaurant and smoking area). As it's a smaller venue, there are a lot less girls (30-50 in the nights I visited).

There were 2 x at Cafe Photo that I left empty handed and went to Bomboa or Scandallo. 2 x I settled for a girl I would have passed on in Scandallo. That is not to say there wasn't a girl I was interested in during each of those visits, but usually they were with a guy and unavailable. There has never been a visit to Scandallo that I didn't find a girl that was both available and I was attracted to.

The admission at Cafe Photo is 350, which is similar to Scandallo at 400 after 7 pm. Don't think they have an early bird rate like Scandallo as they aren't open during the daytime.

Drink amd food prices are similar. I didn't eat at Cafe Photo, so can't comment on food quality.

Cafe Photo also does not have an adjacent hotel, which I consider a plus. There is no exit fee to take a girl out of the club. If you want an easy adjacent in-house 1 HR session, that can be problematic.

For me, Scandallo is so much better in almost every way (except the Saida fee) that I would only consider Cafe Photo or other over Scandallo, if a friend really really want to check it out.

I'll do a summary of the 5 higher end boates I have been to in SP (Ranked in my order of preference).

1) Scandallo.

Admission:. 200 before 7 pm, 400 after 7 pm.

Space:. Large and separated in zones (restaurant & long bar, outdoor patio & club / Disco).

Decoration:. High end chique.

No. Of Girls: 40-75 before 7 pm, 150+ after 7 pm and 200+ after 10:30-11:00 pm, especially from Tues to Thursday. A little slower on Friday, but still good.

Quality of the talent:. Lots of 7's and 8's and more than enough 8. 5's to 9. 5's to satisfy any taste. The high number and variety of hot girls means I've never left the club empty handed.

Rating: 9. 5 out of 10.

Special note:. Can be enter before 7 pm and return later in the evening and avoid admission.

2) Connection.

Admission:. 50 before 7 pm and 100 after 7 pm.

Space:. Decent size. Like a long rectangular field. The disco and bar in the front, and restaurant and smoking area in the back.

Decoration:. Strip club / Disco vibe.

No. Of Girls:. 40-60 depending on the day.

Quality of the talent:. More of the girls have a PSE / slutty look and feel. Talent can be hit or miss depending on the day. I found the talent better in early 2021, as it was the main club to defy curfew so other girls from Scandallo would go there after 9 pm. Now those girls don't need to.

Rating: 8 out of 10. Mostly due to the cheaper admission and girl prices.

Special Note:. Location is farthest from main tourist / business area of SP among clubs listed.

3) Cafe Photo.

Admission: 350.

Space:. Decent size. Main lounge / disco area in one open space. Easy to scope out the talent in one convenience spot.

Decoration:. High-end disco / club.

No. Of Girls:. 30-50.

Quality of the talent: slightly less in quality than Scandallo. That combined with a lot less in quantity will result in potentially not finding what you want available.

Rating:. 8 out of 10.

Special Note:. In the heart of SP so convenient to most places.

4) Bomboa.

Admission: 250.

Space:. Smaller and more intimate.

Decoration:. Old school traditional bar / restaurant with a small stage. More seating upstairs, but mostly for smoking and for tranquility.

No. Of Girls:. 40-60.

Quality of the talent:. I found the talent to be somewhere in the middle between connections and Cafe photo. As this place caters more to locals the pricing is also better.

Rating: 7. 5 out of 10.

Special Note:. In the heart of SP so convenient to most places.

5) Lotus Club.

Admission: 300+.

Space:. Large, high ceilings and renovated really nicely.

Decoration:. Super new and trendy.

No. Of Girls:. 5 to 10.

Quality of the talent: Inconclusive. The two times that I came by they offered a show me around before charging me admission as there were very few girls on premises. I basically got a tour of the place and left to go to Bomboa, which is a 3-4 min walk away.

I have seen the recent Instagram stories and it seems like they got a lot more people there now so they're doing a better job promoting the place. I might give it another shot checking it out when I return to SP.

Rating:. Inconclusive.

Airfare to SP and nice hotels in SP are definitely more costly now than 12 or 18 months ago.

Economy tickets from the US from the mainline carrier cost more now than business and even occasionally first class tickets cost 12 to 18 months ago, at least from the east coast US.

With that said, there are still deals to be had, both in cash and points, but it's harder and harder to find and you might need to be creative. Two examples are 1) a friend flew from US to another South American city, with a connection in GRU. And he ditched his last leg to visit SP on the cheap 2) Another friend flew from GRU to Florida with a connection in Texas. And ditched his flight from Texas to Florida. In both situations, they paid 25-33% of the direct flight cost.

Hotel points can be a lifesaver. I've seen the Renaissance and Grand Hyatt double to triple in price over the past 12 to 18 months. But the points cost stayed the same!

Thankfully, the exchange rate is still phenomenal and I haven't noticed much inflationary pressure on my other main spending. High end restaurants.

[QUOTE=SocratesNY;2725268]With that said, there are still deals to be had, both in cash and points, but it's harder and harder to find and you might need to be creative. Two examples are 1) a friend flew from US to another South American city, with a connection in GRU. And he ditched his last leg to visit SP on the cheap 2) Another friend flew from GRU to Florida with a connection in Texas. And ditched his flight from Texas to Florida. In both situations, they paid 25-33% of the direct flight cost.[/QUOTE]Just a warning here to all. Don't think you can get away with ditching the second leg of your flights willy nilly to save money. The airlines are well aware of this tactic, and you don't have to do it that many times before you just might be hearing from the airline about your new banishment! They notice. And they don't like it. Believe this.

[QUOTE=SocratesNY;2725268]Thankfully, the exchange rate is still phenomenal and I haven't noticed much inflationary pressure on my other main spending. High end restaurants.[/QUOTE]The BRL Has begun to significantly gain ground vs the usd in last 72 hours since the fed increased interests rates by 75 basis points. Will we see the usd continue to fall like it did a few months back when the fed did the exact same thing by increasing interests rates 75 basis points? It got down to 4. 63 at one point not too long ago during that time. Today the taxa de cambio is hovering around 5.19, which is still acceptable, IMO. Will the usd continue to fall like it did the last time the fed messed around with increased interests rates? Me thinks so. Like most, I'd hate to see it fall below 5.00 again but part of me thinks it's coming. Pure speculation on my part so only time will tell.

[QUOTE=SocratesNY;2725268]Airfare to SP and nice hotels in SP are definitely more costly now than 12 or 18 months ago.

Economy tickets from the US from the mainline carrier cost more now than business and even occasionally first class tickets cost 12 to 18 months ago, at least from the east coast US.

With that said, there are still deals to be had, both in cash and points, but it's harder and harder to find and you might need to be creative. Two examples are 1) a friend flew from US to another South American city, with a connection in GRU. And he ditched his last leg to visit SP on the cheap 2) Another friend flew from GRU to Florida with a connection in Texas. And ditched his flight from Texas to Florida. In both situations, they paid 25-33% of the direct flight cost.

Hotel points can be a lifesaver. I've seen the Renaissance and Grand Hyatt double to triple in price over the past 12 to 18 months. But the points cost stayed the same!

Thankfully, the exchange rate is still phenomenal and I haven't noticed much inflationary pressure on my other main spending. High end restaurants.[/QUOTE]Skipping connection is doable if you don't have check bags, but eventually the passenger will get banned if they do it often. I've used Latin American airlines this year because they are about half price compared to US airlines probably due to fuel subsidies. Viva Air that connects in Columbia flies to GRU for as low as $250 if have no bags.

Marriott will soon convert to points system equivalent to cash like the airlines with mile, IE $100 = 10,000 points / miles so many customers are using up their points / miles since it will be soon devalued.

For about 3000 R a month gets a nice apt in SP, for 4000 R furnished it will be like Renaissance or Hyatt. Typical lease is 3 years with the option to leave after 1 year with no penalty.

I just logged-in and saw some questions about the comparison of talent at the various clubs. I am a huge fan of Scandallo, but I have to share that I have been very disappointed with what I have been seeing during my recent visits. I was there last night (Wednesday) and there were a ton of girls but there were a ton that I had no interest in. I was shocked with some of the girls that the management has let come in and work there, and not to mention what they have let some of these girls wear. I saw a lot of trashy looking girls last night that just don't belong in that club. I have a found a girl worth taking out for the night on each of my visits, but I really had to be patient and hunt. Despite there being a substantial number of girls in the club, I ended up taking a girl that I had taken out on Saturday night because I didn't see anyone better than her.

I actually met my dream girl at a clinica and to me she is by far hotter than anyone I have seen at Scandallo. Lots to contribute to the forum!

[QUOTE=MagnumPI;2725249]Thanks much for the info. Seems like the extra distance on the car ride may be worth it. What about Bomboa vs Scandallo? Same as Lotus Club?[/QUOTE]See Socrates' helpful post. For me they are all a must-do LOL! You just never know where you're going to find the next jewel.

I got a tip last night that the lounge at the top of the Tivoli has some premium talent working there. As I understand, this information is not widely known but this hotel caters to an elite clientele and they allow very attractive ladies work their lounge.

Has any stayed at this hotel and / or checked out their lounge.

[QUOTE=ATexGuy;2725339]I got a tip last night that the lounge at the top of the Tivoli has some premium talent working there. As I understand, this information is not widely known but this hotel caters to an elite clientele and they allow very attractive ladies work their lounge.

Has any stayed at this hotel and / or checked out their lounge.[/QUOTE]Do you mean SEEN RESTAURANT & BAR?

I went there with 3 other forum posters and 3 girls in November last year and there are no reservations first come first serve. It's one of the busiest bars in all of South America apparently. We had to wait like 45 mins in the lobby, wait time varies so you can be looking at 30 mins -90 mins. I think it's better if you have a big party like 4-8 people so you have a better chance of getting a table since they know you'll spend more. 2 people for a table isn't as profitable of course. The bar is pretty nice and is the highlight with the bartenders making some unique drinks and doing some neat tricks so it also fills up quickly. It's not really a place you can just walk in and get served very quickly. I didn't really see any working girls when we went but if there are now I'm sure they'd charge something high like the renaissance hotel lobby girls or higher since this a really high-end bar / hotel. Could be wrong but seems like a hassle and then some to score. I could be wrong tho.

If anyone checks it out definitely report back, would be an interesting read.

Why don't they like it?

[QUOTE=TheCane;2725280]Just a warning here to all. Don't think you can get away with ditching the second leg of your flights willy nilly to save money. The airlines are well aware of this tactic, and you don't have to do it that many times before you just might be hearing from the airline about your new banishment! They notice. And they don't like it. Believe this.[/QUOTE]

Feds got to raise the rates more to control this inflation at Scandallo. LOL.

[QUOTE=OJeito;2725284]The BRL Has begun to significantly gain ground vs the usd in last 72 hours since the fed increased interests rates by 75 basis points. Will we see the usd continue to fall like it did a few months back when the fed did the exact same thing by increasing interests rates 75 basis points? It got down to 4. 63 at one point not too long ago during that time. Today the taxa de cambio is hovering around 5.19, which is still acceptable, IMO. Will the usd continue to fall like it did the last time the fed messed around with increased interests rates? Me thinks so. Like most, I'd hate to see it fall below 5.00 again but part of me thinks it's coming. Pure speculation on my part so only time will tell.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Fewdie;2725433]Why don't they like it?[/QUOTE]Couple of articles about the practice (you can be fined and / or banned from the mileage program or maybe worse if they get fed up with you):

[URL]https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/this-airline-sued-a-passenger-for-skipping-his-flight-why-we-should-all-take-note-2019-02-13[/URL]

[URL]https://simpleflying.com/american-airlines-skiplagging-warning/amp/[/URL]

[QUOTE=OJeito;2725284]The BRL Has begun to significantly gain ground vs the usd in last 72 hours since the fed increased interests rates by 75 basis points. Will we see the usd continue to fall like it did a few months back when the fed did the exact same thing by increasing interests rates 75 basis points? It got down to 4. 63 at one point not too long ago during that time. Today the taxa de cambio is hovering around 5.19, which is still acceptable, IMO. Will the usd continue to fall like it did the last time the fed messed around with increased interests rates? Me thinks so. Like most, I'd hate to see it fall below 5.00 again but part of me thinks it's coming. Pure speculation on my part so only time will tell.[/QUOTE]There's always a lot going on behind the currency markets. I don't think the Fed raising rates is the cause for a rise in the Real the last few days. Generally, rate increases are good for currencies. Euro-Dollar is a major currency pair and the Euro did not move much at all versus the Dollar this past week.

More than likely, concerns of a USA Recession might have helped Real sentiment. However if the USA And Europe are in a longer than expected recession, it will likely hurt the Brazilian economy.