Villa 25

Rafa made my first trip to Rio a great one, and I’d happily come back. After six nights split between two rooms, I preferred the loft suite to the design suite, especially for up to two people without wheeled bags. The hotel is in a very safe, peaceful area, so sleeping was easy, and breakfast was generous. The metro is close and made getting to Ipanema and Copacabana simple; the trains felt safe and were strongly air-conditioned. I didn’t take room photos, but the private rooms had air conditioning and came with soap and shampoo.

The breakfast and location are good, and the booking-app photos look appealing. But I came to a hostel to rest, and that was the main problem: people in the dorm could talk loudly at midnight and at 4 a.m., and even after I told the administration, nothing was done about quiet hours. The rooms also squeeze 12 people into a small space, have three-level bunks, and there’s no kitchen. Those basics leave the place below standard.

My Carnival plans changed after I booked, and the hostel helped cancel for free without any trouble. I’d chosen it because it was affordable and near the metro, so I really appreciated how helpful they were with the change. Thanks for the good service.

The breakfast was better than average, but bathroom hygiene needs work. The bunk beds are three storeys high.