Floripa Guest Hostel

I spent almost the whole stay feeling unsafe. I was in a hostel room with eight beds, and what had seemed like friendly management at first gave way to a tense atmosphere, with frequent arguments throughout the day. There was constant noise, confusion, and aggressive behavior that made the place hard to bear. At times, I thought some people might be using cocaine or similar drugs, which added to my unease. At night, I often heard commotion that made me think someone was unwell, and that frightened me further. My food and drinks also disappeared from the fridge. It was an exhausting experience.

I booked through the Airbnb app at one price, but never received confirmation. Since nobody got back to me there, I searched for a contact on Google. They told me the profile I used was old and they no longer had access to it. When they sent me the current link, the price was three times what I had booked. They didn’t even try to offer a solution. I keep wondering how many people might end up using that old profile.

The room was so dirty and hot that I couldn’t stay even one night. The bedding was dirty and the sheet hadn’t been changed; there were cigarette butts around the room, and it smelled unbearably unclean. I had only been given a message saying where the room was, then had to find it myself. The service was awful. I don’t mind basic accommodations as long as they’re clean, and this was the dirtiest hostel I’ve ever seen. I messaged about the situation and asked for a refund, but got no answer until I posted an honest review. Then they claimed the bedding had been changed, even though I’d already said I had photos of the room, and said they wouldn’t refund me because my review had harmed them. Please be careful when booking. I hope this review helps other travelers avoid the same experience.

The hostel has a relaxed, old-school feel and a really good location. Its decor has an esoteric theme, with pleasant incense smells and purple lights. The young woman who helped me was kind and attentive, and Espiral will be my first choice when I’m back in Floripa. One downside: the bunk beds wobble a lot when someone climbs up or down, which bothers the other guests. As far as I could tell, there’s only one bathroom, so that could be an issue when the place is very full.