For the first time in the 125-year history of the international luxury hotel group, a historically influenced resort, with residences and a hotel in South America, will join the Kempinski Hotels portfolio. It will be called Kempinski Laje de Pedra Hotel & Residences and will soon create excitement in Brazil. For this purpose, new life is being breathed into a historic hotel icon in Canela, in the south of the country. 

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Renovation with history

Built in 1978 according to the plans of Edgar Greiff, a student of the famous architect Oscar Niemeyer and master of Modernismo, the hotel is known far beyond the borders of the Serra Gaúcha region, as it was here, among other things, that the signing of the Mercosur Treaty took place in 1992. Located on a cliff in Canela, with a breathtaking view over the "Vale do Quilombo Eco Reserve", the investors plan to open the best and most luxurious 5-star inland resort in Brazil in 2024, after extensive renovation and modernization together with Kempinski Hotels. 

Waking up from the slumber of Sleeping Beauty

"After being the absolute place to be in the first decades after opening, the Laje de Pedra has recently fallen into slumber, so to speak," said Bernold Schroeder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Kempinski Hotels. "The goal is to use our commitment to first-class quality combined with European timeless elegance to breathe new life into this historic and architectural icon and position it as a top destination at the highest level," Schroeder added. He added that this exceptional project is an "excellent opportunity to tackle the South American market."

Liquid gold embedded in the nature of Brazil

The Serra Gaúcha region is a perfect fit for the Kempinski brand, with a strong European culture. In addition, the incomparable nature of the surrounding area attracts over six million visitors each year. Canela is located in the center of Brazil's most attractive inland region, surrounded by excellent, exclusive wineries, the breathtaking Gaucho Canyons and the Campos de Cima da Serra (the highlands of Rio Grande) with its magnificent, uninhabited pampas fields crisscrossed by endless waterfalls. Nature not only invites you to enjoy and relax, but also offers adventure and the opportunity for nature-based sports. 

What awaits you at the Kempinski Hotel in Brazil

In total, the luxury hotel will consist of 360 elegant and state-of-the-art suites and residences ranging from 54 to 290 square metres. Some of these will even be sold, whereby the future owners will be able to use all of the hotel's services or even rent out their apartment temporarily when they themselves are not on site. Guests can also look forward to international restaurants and bars with spacious terraces and spectacular views - such as a steakhouse in modern gaucho style or an Italian enoteca, as well as a rooftop lounge or a bar with an open fireplace. Relaxation and entertainment can be found in the fitness centre covering an area of around 1,000 square metres, in the sophisticated SPA, in the Kids Club or at the heated pool on the roof of the resort. Meeting and conference rooms as well as an own theatre round off the sophisticated offer.

"We are very proud to open the first Kempinski Hotel in the Southern Hemisphere of the Americas at Hotel Laje de Pedra in Canela. This step will definitely position Canela and the region in the circle of luxury destinations in South America," said José Paim de Andrade Jr. and José Ernesto Marino Neto, developers of Laje de Pedra.

The future Kempinski Laje de Pedra is best reached via Porto Alegre International Airport Salgado Filho, which serves the urban region of Porto Alegre, capital of the Rio Grande do Sul region, at a distance of approximately 100 km.