For years, the abandoned Varig hotel intrigued residents and visitors to Guarulhos. The huge building remained unfinished for more than 20 years in one of the city’s noblest areas, becoming one of the biggest “white elephants” in Greater São Paulo.
As in other cases of abandoned buildings, the Varig hotel was at the center of legal disputes that prevented its completion. Learn about the history of this symbol.
Hotel Tropical Varig: from modern project to abandonment
Initially, the building was intended to house the luxurious Hotel Tropical Varig, a chain owned by the airline. The building, close to Guarulhos International Airport, was supposed to cater for transit passengers, business people, tourists and other publics. For this reason, the project was pharaonic: it envisaged 19 floors, 5 of which would be dedicated exclusively to garages.
In 2002, however, the financial crisis that hit Varig interrupted the work, which was already in its final stages. The company went bankrupt and the dream of a luxury hotel never materialized, leaving only the carcass of an unfinished building.
“Skeleton” gets a new lease of life: meet GRU Residence
More than 20 years later, Varig’s abandoned hotel in Guarulhos had a surprising outcome: it was bought by a construction company at an auction of Varig’s assets. It was then that the “skeleton” of Guarulhos finally ceased to exist, undergoing a major renovation that transformed it into the GRU Residence, a modern and sophisticated residential building.
The condominium offers studios and larger apartments, as well as modern facilities such as coworking, a mini market, swimming pool, gym and gourmet space. The success was immediate: since its inauguration at the end of 2024, all the units had already been sold.
Thus, a building that once symbolized decay and abandonment is reborn, becoming a reference in modernity and development in the center of Guarulhos.
