The
Copan is one of the most important buildings in São Paulo. It was designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1966 (the year it opened) and has become a true modernist landmark in the city. Located in the Historic Center, the building is designed for both services (shops, restaurants, bars...) as well as housing. What few people know is that it is possible to stay on Airbnb in some of its apartments. Temporary housing has been gaining momentum, especially in recent years, and Airbnbs in Copan are highly sought after mainly for the experience of staying in the building due to its importance, but also for its privileged location.
The project, dubbed "Airbnb at Copan", began in 2009, when Judson Sales moved into a 28 m² apartment in the iconic building. "After a while, I left because the apartment was too small for me, and I wanted to find a way to to make extra income with it", he comments.
Opportunity in the crisis
In 2014, an economic crisis hit the country and many Brazilians had difficulty closing deals during that year. This problem was reflected in the property owners of Copan, who were unable to rent out their vacant apartments.
Judson said that he was already advertising his space on Airbnb at the time, and that he was happy with the financial results he was getting. A large influx of foreigners were interested in staying at Copan, which made his apartment quite sought after. At the same time, At the time, there were a lot of empty properties in the building - from people who couldn't rent the space as housing. "I approached some owners and offered to decorate it, arrange it my way and sublet it on Airbnb," he said.
Word of mouth was key to the expansion of the
temporary housing project. Other residents later approached Judson to sublet the spaces, and he has been doing it ever since. The
project's Instagram account @airbnbnocopan currently has over 1,000 followers. 35 thousand followers, and today, the organizer works with a team of three people in customer service and two in cleaning to help him handle everything - when demand increases, he hires more people temporarily.
For Judson, the business was successful and became attractive to owners because "unlike a normal lease in which, many times, the tenant will return [the apartment] in a not very good condition, I, who have several guests arriving , I need to keep the place in good condition. They know that the property will always be preserved", he said. He adds by explaining that there are owners who participate more actively in the project and who even choose the decoration style and often deliver the apartment ready to be advertised on Airbnb.
Who rents Airbnb in Copan?
If at the beginning the flow of foreigners was too strong to compete for Judson's accommodation, this scenario changed about 10 years later. "This gradually changed and we started to have more national tourists," he said.
"People came to explore Copan and the surrounding area of the city center. Our strategy today is to attract guests who are from São Paulo and want to explore the region," he explains. São Paulo residents currently account for 70% of the project's clients.
Everything the paulista wants
About a year and a half ago, Judson decided it was time to bring in another key piece to his project: an architecture professional to make Airbnb projects more personalized. That's how the paths of architect Zaira Gon, the organizer and of Copan crossed paths. Born in Paraty and educated in Taubaté, Zaira had the chance to live in the big city five years ago, and confessed that the São Paulo lifestyle didn't please her: "I would wake up, take public transport, and spend the whole day in a small room doing projects . That wasn't what I wanted," he said.
A resident of Santa Cecília, Zaira was one of the many people in São Paulo who rented a temporary space in Copan out of curiosity. She had advertised in a neighborhood Facebook group that she was an architect to offer consulting work. That's when Judson saw the post , she got together with the person who was staying there and suggested the partnership. "I never imagined this could happen. I left Paraty, when would I have imagined arriving at Copan?", says the architect.
Instagrammable spaces
Zaira and Judson did extensive research to understand what people expected when they stayed at an Airbnb in Copan. The answer was simple, straightforward, and very true:
they want a beautiful space . Unlike when traveling to a beach or country house, when staying in the Historic Center of São Paulo there are two things that people expect: to be able to enjoy the wonderful view that the building has and also to have a space that welcomes them and allows them to relax. good pictures. "Comfort is something that people undoubtedly want. Technological things that they don't find in their own homes, like a big screen instead of a television, a bathtub... Among other elements, as if it were a real hotel", explains Zaira.
The architect said that what she enjoys most about taking on Copan projects is doing everything from the first sketch to the production part, leaving the space ready for the visitor to arrive. "I was able to create my own language, and my clients like it." my style. I am fulfilled because I love what I do and because people choose me for it."
Currently, there are
more than 34 Airbnbs in Copan that Judson coordinates , of which
at least ten were designed by architect Zaira Gon . Prices range from R$120 to R$440 per day. The good news is that there are decorated spaces for all tastes - from minimalist to industrial, from colorful to monochromatic.
To check out the accommodations, click here !
