Pousada Nativo

The lovely facade gave me high hopes, but inside it was disappointing. I paid 400 reais a night and found cockroaches in the room, caterpillars in the bathroom, a dirty sink and toilet, damp throughout the room, and stained towels and bed linens. Reception service was miserable too; the woman there looked like she was being forced to work. When we parked, reception staff nearly asked us to stack one car on top of another. Breakfast was very poor. We arrived at 8:00 and there was almost nothing left, so we had toast, juice, and papaya. There wasn't even coffee. When we asked, an employee said it had run out already, at 8 in the morning, and offered us papaya. This was the worst place I've ever stayed!

We paid a high nightly rate and ended up in awful, undignified conditions. The room was filthy and run-down, with mold on the walls and pillows, and a dirty air conditioner. The bathroom smelled unbearable, and the odor spread into the room. There was no water in the shower, sink, or toilet, so after coming back from the beach covered in sand, we couldn't even wash. The air conditioner was so full of mold and dust that I couldn't use it without risking my health. Our room looked nothing like the listing photos, which completely misled us. When we reported the problems, the staff simply ignored us. At check-in, an employee suggested another room that would become available later. Now it's clear they already knew room 5 wasn't fit to use. My nine-year-old niece, my brother, and I all got conjunctivitis in both eyes. A medical certificate confirmed the connection with the mold. This was a shocking disregard for guests and a serious health risk. There are much better pousadas in the area that charge less and offer far more quality and respect. The sea at Morro de São Paulo is wonderful, but this pousada ruined our trip. What a waste of money.

We only stayed one night because we were carrying on with our trip, and we'd booked through Booking.com the night before. The place is right in the center of Morro, on Playa 1, with a flight of stairs leading straight down to the beach. The owner was very friendly, service was good, and cleanliness was excellent. Breakfast was generous: cake, toast, eggs, ham, cheese, bread, coffee with milk, and orange juice. Room comfort varies. Ours had a double bed, refrigerator, hot water in the bathroom, a small TV, and air conditioning. If you're fussy, this room may not suit you, especially for a stay of several days, so take a look at the other rooms. Great location and value for money.

The location was great, and the shower had really good pressure. The breakfast was poor, though, and they used tap water to make the ice that went into the juice. My husband got diarrhea. They didn't offer even one bottle of mineral water at breakfast. The owner charged us 6% extra because we paid by credit card, which I didn't know was illegal at the time. The bed linens weren't changed, and towels were replaced every two days.