Antonieta Hostel

I got to the hostel at 5 a.m., well before my check-in the next day at 2 p.m. They opened the door and let me have a bed to sleep in. I was also given a wonderful breakfast and felt welcome right away. The place has everything we needed, including a lovely cafe and restaurant with great food and a nice room to spend the day in. It’s a beautiful historic building that’s been rebuilt, close to the tourist attractions and in a safe area. The staff are five-star. I also got to meet the owner. She puts love into every detail and really enjoys welcoming people. She knows a lot about the state of Para and the city, and is the best person to ask about what to visit nearby. I loved the hostel and Belem, with its authentic Brazilian people and culture. A gem in the Amazonian Jungle.

TERRIBLE. The bathroom was disgusting while I was there, though the main area was clean. The staff were rude and had a bad attitude. The clerk didn’t understand my accent and thought I’d insulted her in English, which she clearly doesn’t speak. She said she “didn’t want to talk to me anymore” and told me to leave after I’d paid for three days. It was awful, immature, and unprofessional. Staff here can turn on you any second and leave you in a dangerous situation, so it’s not worth the risk.

The beds were comfortable, and the hostel was cute, clean, and spacious. The cafe downstairs is nice too, and breakfast was really tasty.

We left on the first day and wouldn’t recommend this place. When we arrived at midnight, with our reservation already paid in four installments, reception didn’t know we had booked. They didn’t check us in, ask for ID, or hand over a room key. We had to ask for the key ourselves. They took our bags to the room and explained nothing else. The room looked dirty, and there were lots of dead insects on the bathroom floor. The bed was extremely uncomfortable, maybe less comfortable than sleeping on the floor, though with so many dead mosquitoes that would have been unpleasant too. To top it off, the fan had no safety cover and seemed like a real accident risk. The conditions didn’t match what was advertised. When we asked for a refund for the unused nights, we were told there would be no refund.