Hostel Cidade Nova

The room was practically unsanitary, with nine of us squeezed into 5 square meters. It’s disgraceful to offer a place like that. During Carnival, Uber can’t drop you at the hostel because the road is closed, and local thugs know this and take advantage of the situation to attack people walking the 7 minutes back. About ten young men attacked me, tried to steal my phone, and beat me up. The worst hostel of my life, a very unsavory place. NEVER, EVER book this hostel.

The best part of our stay was how welcoming Liliane and Alex were. They were helpful from arrival to checkout, even carrying our bags and helping Alex get our car battery charged when it ran flat. He really saved us. The room was small but comfortable, with working air conditioning and a TV. The hostel was quiet, clean, and organized, without overcrowding in the shared areas. Breakfast was good too, with cold cuts, cookies, juice, and yogurt. We were a little unsure about the location at first, but soon felt comfortable. We left our car on the street each day without any trouble. Since it’s central, there are plenty of places nearby, including the metro. We had a wonderful stay.

I’d definitely stay here again if I return to Rio. There were lots of backpackers, so it was fun chatting with other guests, and the staff, including Alex and Lillian, were lovely to talk to and happy to help with sightseeing questions. Breakfast was ready at 7am, and having water available was handy. The room got hot in summer. I ran the air conditioning overnight and used two fans, but the bed was in a spot where they didn’t reach, so I woke up overheated. Wi-Fi was good by the central TV, though it sometimes dropped in the room. There were lockers with locks. The washing machine cost 50 real, so I washed my clothes by hand each day. ^_^

My first time in a hostel and it was great. The owners were really friendly and helpful. I’ll come back.