Chamos Hostel Cultural

There’s free water from a dispenser, and you can get in with a code instead of a key. Towels cost 10$. Those were the good points. The beds were terrible for the price, and we had to make them ourselves. The room air was stale and disgusting, so I asked the receptionist to turn on the AC. She asked if the doors were open, but they weren’t because there were tons of mosquitoes outside. Apparently the owner had programmed the AC to come on only at 9:30 p.m. The only alternative was a fan that just moved the bad air around and blew it right at me. The AC still wasn’t on by 8 a.m. the next day. With the AC off, the pillows and mattresses were sweaty, and I’m not sure they even count as mattresses. The owners’ rules, including restricting staff from turning on something as necessary as the AC, deserved a one-star review in my opinion. The hostel had only six stars on Hostelworld, and the response telling me that keeping the windows closed because of mosquitoes was my choice was crazy. Open information doesn’t make the hostel any less bad. If you were a good host, there wouldn’t be such rules. If that’s standard hostel practice in Brazil, then I guess it’s pretty bad. You charge European prices, mostly have volunteers so you don’t have to pay them, or don’t have to pay much, and what you get for the money is absolutely abysmal. I’m wasting my time writing this, since you won’t improve the place anyway.

The volunteers were amazing and really helpful, and there are restaurants and a market nearby. It’s just a two-minute walk from the main bus station. Best of all, you can walk to any beach.

The staff made this stay feel like home, even though I was there for only a few days. They were always smiling and ready to help. When I needed to arrange the rest of my trip, they helped a lot, even coming with me to the bus station. The rooms are nicely designed, the shared spaces are welcoming, and the kitchen is well equipped. The facilities are great too. One of my best hostel stays, and I loved it there.

The beds weren’t comfortable, and there was barely any cookware or cutlery in the poorly equipped kitchen, which was a big inconvenience. Some staff were friendly and welcoming, but others didn’t seem as helpful or approachable. The strangest part was being told to leave just an hour after checkout, or I’d be charged a “Day Used” fee for staying at the hostel. I’ve been traveling for over three years and have never run into that elsewhere. It felt unnecessary and odd. It wasn’t the worst stay, but there’s definitely room to improve.