First Kempinski South American Property Sets 2024 Opening

Kempinski Hotels has unveiled plans for the renovation of the iconic Laje de Pedra hotel in the Brazilian resort town of Canela. The property will be the Luxury hotel group’s first in South America.

Dating back to 1978, the property is situated on a cliff overlooking the Vale do Quilombo Eco Reserve, in Brazil’s southern Serra Gaucha Region. The hotel was designed by architect Edgar Graeff, and was the location for the signing of the Mercosur Treaty in 1992.

The group plans to transform the property into a hotel and residences, with total of 360 suites ranging in size from 580 to 3,100 square feet. The suites will be partially sold, according to the group, “with future owners able to use all of the hotel’s services or rent out their apartment temporarily when they are not on site themselves.”

Food and beverage outlets will include “international restaurants and bars with spacious terraces and spectacular views,” as well as a rooftop lounge. The resort’s other planned amenities include 11,000-square-foot fitness center, a spa and heated swimming pool.

Salgado Filho Porto Alegre International Airport is situated around 60 miles from the hotel, with links to destinations including Rio, São Paulo and Panama City.

“After being the absolute place to be in the first decades after its opening, the Laje de Pedra has fallen into a slumber, so to speak, in recent times,” Bernold Schroeder, chief executive officer ad interim and chairman of the management board of Kempinski Hotels, said. “The aim is to bring this historic and architectural icon back to life with our commitment to first-class quality combined with timeless European elegance and to position it as a top destination at the highest level.”

The scheduled opening date for the Laje de Pedra is 2024. Kempinski recently opened its 21st property in China, and currently has a portfolio of 79 hotels across 34 countries, including Cuba and Dominica in the Americas.kempinski.com