What People are saying
Survive
jorviz on 23/04/2015 00:46
We came to this hostel as it was the cheapest we found on booking.com
JUST FOR YOU TO KNOW: The neighborhood is VERY dangerous. Crowded of homeless people, drug-addicts and robbers. My friend and I were scared when arriving at the hostel as lots of people in the streets were staring and us, one man started to follow us. We disliked a lot the fact of having to return before the darkening in order to be safe.
The hostel isn't bad. We had a very simple double room (no air con, and very hot) with a fan and a chair. We stayed in the bottom floor and it was TOO HOT.
Throughout the hostel there are several drinkable water machines which is a plus.
Bathrooms are generally very clean.
The "cafe da manhã" buffet is veeeery simple. It consists of coffee, milk, watermelon, papaya, bread and cheese.
I would recommend travelers this hotel just for a 1/2 nights stay.
Smell of the room was not freshy
Artur P on 08/09/2014 03:14
We have been in Villa Santana for 4 nights. If You arę backpacker this place is for You - precedens but the standard is low/medium. Breakfadt is the same everyday, the Smell in our room reminds me Oldsmoker and homeless person. Baths were clean and always ready for use. If You dont speak portugal Its not easy to get help From 2 mad, and resentful guys in front of the hostel desk. But From time to time, mostly in the morning there is nice and helpful ładu which witaj smile on het face will tryb to help You. WiFi works fine, which helped me to survive loud nights and loud maids takiego loud at 6 am in front of my door. Price/quality is Good couse You wont Finder cheaper own room in this price, but If You arę going to speed romantic nights, or takę Kids herę You should probably find something else.
Own room for price of dormitory
RadekDostal on 07/10/2013 13:00
=== Advantages ===
* Private room with shared bathroom for 50 reales
* Purified water on each floor
* Clean rooms and restrooms
* Decent LCD TV (Portuguese only)
* Clean linens and towels included
* Strong Wi-Fi
=== Disadvantages ===
* Bad neighborhood - at bus station we were strongly suggested to take taxi when arriving at night (30 reales)
* Room is just 3x3m in size (clearly stated when booking)
* No breakfast (clearly stated when booking)
* My girlfriend caught a bed bug during night and had many bites
* Night receptionist spoke only Portuguese and was a bit unfriendly
* Trash bin only in corridor
Not Bad, Just OK
Peter S on 13/06/2013 13:27
I have read the other reviews, and have to disagree with most of them. This was a very cheap place to stay and close to the lively area of Lapa. This is not a 5 Star hotel, but you are not paying 5 Star prices. We ended up here, because our previous booked apartment was not available. We were only going to stay 1 night, but ended staying 3 nights. It has bus connections to all parts of Rio, and a metro station within 5 mins walk. The neighbourhood is generally safe, but you need to keep your wits about you. There are loads of places nearby for cheap drinks and food. During my stay, there were many women staying here, so I guess they must feel safe.
Our room was basic, but clean. It was cleaned every day. Fresh linen was also supplied daily. There was wifi internet, but the coverage only extended to the ground floor. The staff were ok, but no one spoke English.
There was no breakfast, but there were ample places to eat cheaply within 100m of the hostel.
If you want a cheap place to stay during the world cup and the Olympics ... this place could be an answer.
Do NOT stay here!
shannonb81 on 17/03/2013 21:42
dirty rooms, ants & a full ashtray in our non smoking room, no breakfast or wifi as advertised in rental ad, VERY unfriendly staff, unsafe location, the one person that spoke english walked away when I asked him a question. Front desk gave incorrect hours of closing for tourist sights. The only good thing was a tasty juice shop down the block. Don't waste your time, money, or frustration on this place.