Pousada Estevao

The location made getting around easy, right on Morro’s main street with everything close enough to reach on foot. Just keep in mind that the street-facing rooms with balconies can stay noisy late, so light sleepers may want to ask for a room farther inside. We spent Christmas and New Year at Pousada Estevão and were warmly welcomed. It had a real family feel, and the care showed in the spotless rooms, fresh bedding, clean bathrooms, and well-maintained air conditioning. My son and I both have allergies, but had no problems there. Breakfast was homemade and generous, especially the scrambled eggs made to order, along with cakes and sweets. They even offered a champagne toast for New Year.

The worst part was the room cleaning. There was sand on the floor and even on the bed and sheets. We had to take off a sheet and shake it out before we could lie down, which was unacceptable. Breakfast also had little variety and felt repetitive after more than a day. Pousada Estevão is right in the center of Morro de São Paulo, convenient for the beaches, restaurants, bars, shops, and main attractions. The staff were polite, attentive, and helpful, and breakfast was simple but tasty and covered the basics. That central spot comes with a serious downside: loud street noise that carries on through the night and makes it almost impossible to sleep without interruption. With the noise and the cleaning problems, I wouldn’t recommend it to couples or anyone looking for a quiet, comfortable stay. It may suit people who mainly want a convenient location, but the lack of rest and comfort really hurt the experience.

The room was beside the kitchen, so I kept waking up when things started moving around early in the morning. Some of the furnishings were old too, including the minibar and the oxidized bathroom mirror. I stayed at Pousada Estevao for three days. Its central location is handy, near the catamaran arrival point and Morro de São Paulo’s first beach, and the decor is cute. The pillows, mattress, and blankets were good quality, though the double bed was made of two single beds. If you roll into the gap, you can wake up with back pain. The downsides were pretty rough. After heavy rain, I woke at 4:30 a.m. with leaks dripping on my head and feet, on both sides of the bed. There was nobody at the pousada to help with emergencies or report problems after 9 p.m., just the guests. Breakfast was okay but had few choices. The juices were graviola and cajá, flavors that aren’t as universally popular as orange. You have to ask for eggs and they make them fresh.

The location is good, but I can’t recommend staying here when the service still needs so much work. On my first day, 22/12/23, there was no water even to brush my teeth. Nobody answered the phone numbers, and my WhatsApp messages got no reply. The reception is advertised as 24-hour, but there was no one there to sort out the problem. The TV being flat-screen doesn’t help when only one channel works.