Pousada Village Gu Paraty

What a disappointing situation. Our bus broke down near Ubatuba, so we arrived late and went to Vibe hostel because the reviews looked good. A friendly young man checked us into the shared rooms. We asked about a private room, and he said it wasn’t available because of bed bugs, so we stayed with the shared rooms. After showering at the hostel, we went out to get something to eat. When we came back an hour later, we checked our bunks just in case and found them full of bed bugs. Obviously, we chose not to sleep there. The receptionist said the owner had already collected our payment, so they couldn’t refund us then, but told us to come back another day. Two days later, an elderly woman was there. We explained what happened and tried to find a fair arrangement. We’d showered and left our things there for an hour, so we weren’t asking for the full payment back. She immediately snapped at us, saying we’d used the showers and arrived late, so we shouldn’t expect any refund. She was confrontational and accusing, then said it wasn’t her problem and we should contact the owner. We didn’t get a cent back, and ended up paying for a whole night just to take a shower. I’m most disappointed by how we were treated, even though we tried to talk it through calmly and politely. I wouldn’t recommend this place.

I stayed three nights, and the beds were comfortable, the bathroom was reasonably clean, and so was the kitchen. The hostel is old, but it has character and a good feel to it. I liked being able to look straight out from the room onto the street. The only thing that bothered me was having no smoking area, so people had to smoke by the entrance. I didn't find the area dangerous, at least before midnight. For a bed in a room shared with 12 people, I'm not sure what some of the negative reviews are expecting from a hotel-like stay.

The room was very hot, the Wi-Fi was poor, and the bathrooms were both limited and dirty. The owner wasn't helpful and wouldn't refund me for a night I'd booked by mistake. I suppose the price explains some of it, but I'd spend a few dollars more and stay somewhere else.

We spent a week in Paraty at this lovely hostel. Guhstavo and Rose were both so kind. Thanks so much, and wishing you all the best ❤️