Sugar Loft Apartments

The noise and the way management handled it made this a miserable stay. Air conditioning units, gunshots, explosions, parties, and doors banging kept us from sleeping. The upstairs apartment's air conditioners vibrated the ceiling and wall and were extremely loud. We complained to Fred after two nights without sleep. He was polite at first and spoke to the upstairs occupants about running them all night, even though the weather wasn't hot or cold and there seemed to be no immediate need. The noise carried on, so we asked to move or get a refund, but Fred took longer and longer to reply. All week we heard and saw flashes from what sounded like gunfire or explosions. Several parties went on too, including one from 8pm until 9am the next morning. Some neighbors were quiet, while others slammed doors and dragged furniture through the evening and night. Doors started slamming from 4am onward. We sent videos as evidence and were told they were waiting for the owner's response. A week passed without a solution. When we contacted booking.com, the owner replied within an hour asking for more evidence, so we sent newer videos. Around the second half of our second week, we had to spend a few nights elsewhere just to sleep. We sent more evidence to booking.com and left two days early, after nearly two weeks of barely sleeping. The owners eventually ignored booking.com too. Booking.com asked them directly to refund us, but they refused. As an intermediary, booking.com couldn't make them do anything, leaving us out of pocket and exhausted, with a terrible start to our travels. Booking.com did give us a small amount back as an apology for how we'd been treated, but it wasn't much. There were plenty of other problems. The bathroom grout, walls, and ceiling were covered in mold, and larvae from drain flies came through unsealed tile edges when we showered. The windows rattled in the wind, the bedroom's main light didn't work, the walls and skirting boards were dirty, and a power socket wasn't secure. The sofa was torn where it was creased and uncomfortable. Screws in the front door lock weren't doing their job, which made us feel unsafe given the area and previous reviews mentioning safety concerns. We were drawn by the view of Sugarloaf Mountain, but once you've seen it, there's not much reason to see it again, and you can view it from elsewhere in Rio. The place is up a huge hill. It's near a few things, but after visiting them you're far from most other places. It also didn't feel safe at night, and we felt we absolutely had to take taxis home before dark. You might have an okay stay for a few days if you happen to visit during a quiet spell with the local community, but management didn't seem to care about us, and we felt we had no way to do anything about it. The bad reviews about similar experiences were true. We thought we might get lucky, but we had the same kinds of problems. The rating doesn't reflect our experience. The place seems to be sold on the mountain view, which you can get from much better apartments in Centro. For about the same or only slightly more money, Centro has a better location, cheaper food, outdoor space, and often a pool. We regret wasting our time here. The way the owners ignored us and booking.com, then relied on the no-cancellation policy to avoid any moral obligation, was disgusting. Read the reviews about other guests who had the same issues. Do not stay here.

On my last day, I came back from town around 6:30 PM and the key broke inside the lock while I was trying to lock the door. I messaged the owner using the number on Booking.com and through Booking.com as well, but got no reply. I was distressed because I couldn't get in and worried I'd have to sleep in the building hallway. I explained all this in my messages, which the owner left unanswered. The bar across the street helped me call a locksmith, and I was able to wait there. The service cost me 40 Euros. The next day there was still no reply. At 11 am, a boy from the owner's team showed up and asked why I hadn't checked out. I explained what happened. He spoke to the owner, who told me to leave ASAP so they could clean and repair the lock before the next guests arrived. I asked to be reimbursed for the locksmith, since I had to pay to get back in. The very rude owner said no. The air conditioner didn't work at first. I messaged the owner and received no answer. The following day, a boy from his team came to check it without warning me that anyone was coming. Luckily, I was home. The air conditioner still didn't work afterward, and I gave up. The apartment was in poor, very worn condition, and the bathroom hadn't been cleaned properly. I also couldn't rest because the air conditioner in the apartment below was extremely loud at night, right beside the bedroom window. After taking my money, the owner stopped caring. If you book here, expect to be treated disrespectfully.

The photos show the property's real condition. The air conditioning and washing machine both failed, and although a repair was promised, nothing had been fixed two days later. I wouldn't stay here again.

A lovely street, just a few blocks from park Gloria. There's also an amazing viewpoint a few blocks away.