Rio Forest Hostel

The way the hostel handled our complaint is why I can't recommend it. During our stay, several people in our dorm woke up with itchy bites. One of them had arrived before us, so the later claim that the problem came from our belongings is hard to accept. We found an insect on one of the beds that strongly resembled a bed bug and kept it as evidence. We also photographed dark marks on the mattresses that were consistent with bed bug activity. Those photos are attached. When we first reported it, the hostel seemed to take it seriously. They offered us a better room and said refunds and compensation would be discussed. Nobody suggested then that we were at fault. That changed when we asked for a full refund and repayment of the costs to wash and decontaminate our things. The hostel then said the insect wasn't a bed bug, there was no evidence of an infestation, and we might have brought it in. Their conclusion was based only on an inspection by their own housekeeping staff. Despite our request, they never provided a report from an independent pest-control professional, and dismissed the evidence we'd documented and kept. The inconsistent explanation concerns us most. If they believed from the start there was no problem and we were responsible, why offer a better room right away and initially discuss refunds? The story only changed when compensation came up. Bed bugs can happen in any accommodation. What matters is how the problem is handled. We were left paying for laundry and decontamination, while the hostel denied responsibility and a refund and suggested the issue came from us. We're attaching photos of the insect we found in our beds and the mattress markings so future guests can look at the evidence and decide for themselves.