Chill Hostel Rio

A good, relaxed hostel with beautiful views and a great kitchen. The staff are helpful, and there are shops nearby if you want food, plus a couple of small restaurants around the hostel. It's basic, so it suits travelers who are used to making their own plans and getting on with things. The favela feels cool and safe.

From the terraces you get lovely views out toward the ocean, and the staff are friendly and helpful. This is an affordable hostel in Leme, in a favela with police presence, about a 15 minute walk from Copacabana beach. Getting back from the beach means a steep uphill climb of around 10 minutes. The WiFi doesn't reach some of the rooms on the top floor.

The staff were lovely, honest and helpful, but I didn't think much of the hostel itself. We had a private room, and the sheets wouldn't stay on the bed for more than 10 minutes, so we'd wake up lying straight on the mattress. There was no soap in the bathroom. Only one shower had hot water, and even that cut out after a minute when the switch short-circuited. The neighbors could get noisy on weekends. One morning we woke to a police gun shoot out with criminals up the road. Apparently that's normal there.

Cheap, friendly hostel and a handy base for seeing Rio de Janeiro. Hanging around a favella felt a bit strange, but we had no trouble and had a lovely time in Rio.