Chalés Aguai

The person at reception was very kind, which was the one good thing. But the room I’d booked had a broken bathroom and no shower, and there wasn’t even a sheet to cover myself. It also hadn’t been cleaned properly. Unfortunately, I won’t book there again.

The bed and table were broken, the sheet was rotten, and the towel smelled awful. The pan was greasy, there wasn’t a broom to clean the place, the bathroom sink and toilet were clogged, and the shower’s wiring was exposed. I was even afraid to get in the pool in case my skin came off. Chalés Aguaí is inside a favela, so be careful arriving or leaving at night. I couldn’t get hold of the host, and Booking doesn’t respond.

There wasn’t anyone clearly identified as staff. A very nice woman answered our questions and helped us, though she never said she worked there. The room felt really stuffy and smelled strongly of mold. The bedding had a horrible smell too, like bar soap mixed with a lot of bleach. The pool water was dirty, and nobody dared use it while I was there. The area itself is good, but there are no quiet hours. The room’s fixtures worked, except for a hole in the bathroom sink trap, and the Wi-Fi didn’t work in the room. I wouldn’t recommend it as things are, though maybe some changes would help.

A pleasant, quiet place, good for a trip with family or friends, though perhaps not if you’re traveling alone. The beach is five minutes away, with bakeries, markets, and public transport nearby.