Belém Hostel

I stayed in the dorm on and off over a couple of weeks. Evando is cheerful and fun, and Maria is really caring, even though I barely speak Portuguese. The location is great, and when other people are around the atmosphere is really good too.

The location is a plus, close to the dock and ver-o-peso market. Still, this hostel was only suitable as a one-night stopover for me. The beds were dirty, there was just one shared bathroom, and the overall atmosphere didn’t feel welcoming. We paid full price for a regular dorm in the end. On arrival at hostel Belem, a friendly but rather confused staff member greeted us. He didn’t understand or speak English, so we communicated through Google Translate. After a lot of back and forth, we found out our room had gone to another guest who “wanted to stay another night.” That’s no excuse. We’d been told there were no mixed dorms, so my girlfriend and I were expected to sleep separately. Eventually they put us in the staff room. It smelled bad, and we had to make our own beds. Correction: the owner has replied with blatant lies. He never tried to contact us. My girlfriend had messaged him before we left for Belem to say we would arrive late, and he didn’t reply. We were never offered another “partner company option” either. We got blank stares, then a compromise to sleep in the staff room. Instead of ignoring the review and blaming guests, maybe improve the service going forward.

I booked a tour through the hostel, but it was canceled because of bad weather. They said for two weeks that they would reimburse me, and I was patient and understanding, but the money never came back. They’re dishonest.

We weren’t quite sure who worked there or who was in charge. It feels as if they haven’t decided whether to run a hard-nosed business or create a distinctive place for travelers. I’d check whether other hostels have availability. There are hammocks for spending the afternoon, and the free breakfast can get your day started. The hostel also has all the amenities you’d expect.