Farfalla Guest House

Marcus was quick to respond and really helpful, and he was happy to share local tips that made the stay feel even more special. Farfalla has a warm, welcoming vibe, and I felt comfortable as soon as I arrived. It's in a lively, authentic neighborhood that still felt safe, and you can tell there's real care in how the place is run.

The location was safe, strangers couldn't get into the property, and it was close to different parts of Rio. My room had a balcony, fan, and AC, and was mostly clean. Towels were supplied, the host often replied quickly, and the bathroom was cleaned regularly. There were a lot of mosquitoes. I had to sleep with repellent on and use a plug-in repellent too. I also saw an occasional cockroach in the bathroom, and during heavy rain drops came through the roof. There were no bins in the bedrooms. I also had a strange experience involving my key and the cleaner, which left my housemates and me unsure about trusting the host and cleaners. I left my bag in the kitchen, the next room over from the shared living room where I was with four housemates and near the cleaner. There was nothing valuable in it, and I didn't think anyone would take anything. About 10 minutes earlier, I'd used my room key to come home for a quick shower and then put it in the bag. When we were leaving, I noticed the key was gone. We searched everywhere but couldn't find it, even though it had to be somewhere in the house. I speak enough Portuguese to explain the confusion to the cleaner. She said I had to talk to the host. The proposed solution shifted from him getting us a new key to me going with the cleaner to get one. She first said she knew a nearby key shop that would charge 30 reais. I felt uneasy, but had little choice without a key, so I went along. We passed three or four key shops before reaching one where they could copy our house keys. It cost 45 reais. That isn't much, and isn't very different from 30, but my housemates and I all thought the whole situation was very strange. We were cautious after that.

A lovely place in the heart of Rio, in Botafogo. Highly recommended!

I loved this hostel. It feels cozy and is in a good spot, close to restaurants and a grocery store. It's clean and organized, and the people working there are awesome. A great experience!