Sao Paulo is Brazil's commercial, artistic and fashion heart -- everyone knows Rio is just for tourist, Sao Paulo is where it is really at. With Brazil's rise to prominence and role as the regional economic powerhouse, Sao Paulo has had to rise to the challenge -- some of the most interesting and design-conscious hotels, restaurants and bars have opened up in the city and over the next couple of years many more are scheduled to open. The World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016 will see the city and the country flow into the public's consciousness turning it into the beating heart of the continent.
