Pousada Casa Serra Alves

The beach at Geribá is close enough for an easy walk. Breakfast was good, with everything fresh, and the staff were really friendly. Our room had a kitchen and was clean and ready to use.

We had a great stay and would definitely recommend it. The inn was clean, breakfast was good, the pool was heated, and the location worked well.

The location was excellent, very close to Praia de Geribá and easy to reach on foot. Everything was clean, the setting was pleasant, and the staff were courteous and attentive.

The location and amenities weren't the only problem. The service made us feel unwelcome from the moment we arrived on Saturday night. We rang the bell and nobody answered, though the automatic gate opened. A woman inside looked furious and took us straight to reception to pay, without greeting us or letting us see the room first. The price was higher than the one on Booking.com, and she explained nothing or offered Wi-Fi to make payment easier. After taking us to the room, she disappeared before we could ask about breakfast hours or anything else. It was the worst service we've ever had. The room was tiny, like a dollhouse, and the advertising made it look much bigger. The bed was so hard and thin it felt like sleeping on Rua das Pedras, worse than a tent. There was barely any room in the kitchen, and with only two plates, two sets of cutlery, and a tray too small for the plates, cooking was almost impossible. Two people made the room feel crowded. The walls seemed like cardboard, so we could hear everything. There was nowhere for suitcases or clothes, and the clothesline was so small it held only two unfolded towels. In humid Buzios, that's nowhere near enough to dry clothes. The bathroom had no window and stayed steamy. The only room window looked out on a garbage- and rubble-filled vacant lot with two plucked chickens in awful condition. The whole place was unpleasant and uncomfortable. Breakfast was meager and low quality, another letdown compared with the advertising. We never saw the fruit in the photos, just tasteless green melon and watermelon. The common room had too little space for guests to sit comfortably, and when everyone ate at once, some people had no seat. It seemed they'd crammed in as many rooms as possible for profit, without considering guest comfort. The next day, after sleeping badly on that awful bed, we asked the owner for at least a partial refund because we were so uncomfortable. She refused and told us to deal with Booking.com. Then she said she could put a pillow on the bed, but we would have to wait three days. It didn't help, and we slept terribly until we left. After that, the owner never greeted or spoke to me again, and turned away when I said good morning. The staff generally showed no willingness to help. Even with a language barrier, they didn't try to communicate or explain anything. They stared at us and made us feel uncomfortable, and asking for something seemed to bother them. Cleaning amounted to a quick sweep. They never changed our mattress topper, since there were NO sheets, and when they cleaned, they took the towels. We had to ask for toilet paper and everything else. The staff seemed unhappy, and it showed in the awful service. I really don't recommend Casa Serra Alves. What Booking.com showed didn't match reality, the price was inflated, and the service was bad enough to ruin a vacation.