Hostel Alecrim

The owner is a really nice person, and it's a good place.

The only things I can praise are the location near the center and one employee's friendliness. I stayed at Hostel Alecrim during Carnival, and it was the worst hostel experience I've ever had. The place was damp and poorly ventilated, with hardly any natural airflow. My room had bad beds and an old mattress where I could feel the bed frame, plus spiderwebs across the ceiling. The common areas were filthy, including the blankets on the sofas. The kitchen was dirty, poorly ventilated, and had very few utensils. Breakfast was a letdown, with no cheese or ham. There were cakes, but the kitchen was so dirty I couldn't bring myself to try them. The bathrooms were the biggest disappointment. There were only two for all the guests, and they were often dirty, clogged, smelly, and muddy. The grime on the shower tiles was so bad it put me off even taking a shower. I'm not allergic to anything, but I felt unwell while staying there. I think it may have been the dust, because I felt better whenever I left. I only didn't cancel and find somewhere else because the city was full and I'd already paid for the whole stay.

The kitchen was missing enough pots, cutlery, and serving dishes for cooking, and the tiles, towels, dish towel, and counter cloth were filthy. I even had to wash the dirty plates, glasses, and cutlery that had been left out. Breakfast had no cold cuts and only basic options. The bathrooms smelled bad, were dirty, and were constantly clogged at the sinks and toilets. The showers barely dripped and were hard to regulate. There was hardly any ventilation, and the place was damp and dusty, which seems awful for anyone with breathing problems. The kitchen at the back had no window, so cooking smells and smoke went straight into our room. The place was noisy too. We were downstairs under five bunk beds, and the wooden floor above made a horrible racket whenever anyone walked around. I also wondered whether that floor could safely hold so much weight. There were dirty walls and spiderwebs in the rooms and shared spaces, and the hostel's hygiene was terrible throughout. It doesn't deserve even one star, but that's the lowest option available.

The breakfast was tasty and generous, and they also offer day-use if you only need access to the hostel's shared areas. Staff were attentive and friendly. The location in town is good, but the place may be rough for anyone with rhinitis, and there aren't many power outlets in the room.