Pousada Agua Viva

Jonathan, the host, was friendly and helpful, and the hotel is in an amazing spot right by the beach. The facilities also looked well maintained. But during our four day stay, our room wasn’t cleaned once: no fresh towels or sheets, and the trash wasn’t taken out. There was only a small bin in the bathroom. When we asked the cleaner to come, she came in without knocking while we were in the room, then didn’t return to clean after we left. Jonathan did arrange replacement towels when we asked. The hot water came through only in a weak stream, making showers uncomfortable. At night we felt like we were being bitten, possibly by mosquitoes or bed bugs, which made things unpleasant. Breakfast was good on the first day, but on the following days the cook didn’t understand us, as we don’t speak Portuguese, and brought food we hadn’t ordered. The eggs were undercooked too. There were some good points, but these frustrations had a big effect on our stay.

The rooms were okay, with daily cleaning, food and showers, but WiFi was poor. I also found all the room keys in a basket where anyone could take one, with nobody watching them. They weren’t kept behind the reception counter. While I was at the beach, 100€ disappeared from my wallet, which I’d left inside my backpack in the room. I reported it to the staff, but they dismissed me, saying nothing like that happens there and that I should have used the safe. They were very rude.

The service was warm, and breakfast was nice 😋

The room was okay, but there was no shampoo or soap in the bathroom, and the WiFi was very unreliable. Breakfast was forgettable, with bad juice and eggs. The manager/receptionist wasn’t friendly, and the place felt mediocre for such a high price. I’ve had much better stays in Paraty and Búzios for less. Check-out at 10 AM is way too early, and there’s no option for a late checkout. They’ll also charge more for three people than two, even in a three-bed room!!!