Pousada Girassóis Da Barra

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I wouldn’t recommend this pousada to anyone. It was shamefully dirty, a terrible experience, and in my view it should be shut down because of the health risks. For a New Year’s Eve 2024 group trip to Barra da Lagoa in Florianópolis, I booked the entire pousada for 53 people with Reinaldo Antônio Rigotti, who was responsible. I trusted that the arrangement would be honest. Instead, the stay was a disaster: the place was neglected, far from what the contract said, and the conditions were inhumane. Reinaldo didn’t care. On arrival, the rooms were dirty, some toilet bowls had no seats, the air conditioners weren’t working and seemed at risk of catching fire, and there was a lot of mold on the walls. There were termites in the doors and ceiling wood, and the bedding was dirty. During our six days there, the rooms were never cleaned, so guests had to take out the trash themselves. Breakfast was missing every day, and the kitchen wasn’t hygienic. The pool shown in the pousada photos wasn’t cleaned once. It was filthy. Another sign of neglect was that Reinaldo had no employees, only volunteers. They were foreigners trying to make a life in Brazil, working for him without formal registration. They had no proper guidance and weren’t equipped to do the work. They hadn’t even learned the language yet, and were paid with a roof over their heads. I heard complaints from many customers. Trusting Pousada Girassóis da Barra and Reinaldo Rigotti put our good name at risk. We’re still dealing with the frustration and aftermath. I’ll leave photos of what happened so other people can avoid going through it.

The location is good, close to the beach and a market. The pousada is quite old, though, and feels more like a boarding house, with everyone together and not much privacy. Breakfast had few choices and needs a lot of improvement. I was also concerned about security, since people who weren’t staying there came in and out.

The common spaces are nice, and the staff are very attentive. The rooms, though, are tiny. They’re meant for at most two people, yet some have three bunk beds, leaving no room for luggage or even walking around. There was no TV, the air conditioning didn’t work, and there’s no housekeeping. Towels were changed just once during the stay.