Villa Alexandrino

We couldn’t wait to leave. The house was dirty, dusty, shabby, and falling apart, with cobwebs and little housekeeping. Floors got so dusty we were constantly washing our feet. The photos made it look clean and tidy, which was very misleading. It’s next to a Favella, and most Ubers wouldn’t come. On the ride up, one Uber went through a favela and we were held at gunpoint. The kitchen was difficult to use: ants got in, the equipment was lacking, the frying pan wasn’t nonstick, the toaster didn’t work, and there was no kettle. We had to keep asking for the bin to be changed. The fridge smelled awful, needed defrosting, and took ages to cool our food. There were lots of dogs and cats roaming around for food. Many mornings the dogs had gotten into the bin, and they looked very skinny. I’ve never stayed somewhere where the owner left pets like that. Sometimes there was no shower water, and sometimes no hot water. We also had to ask repeatedly for toilet paper and towels. The ceiling leaked, leaving things wet and damp, and there were mosquitoes in the room. Toilets took over a minute of holding the flush to work. Workers often lingered around without doing much, so we had little privacy. For such a large place, daily sweeping and mopping are really needed. I’ve stayed in cleaner hostels.

The rooms are lovely and simple, and public transport is right outside. Alexis, the property manager, was outstanding with his knowledge of Rio and the help he gave us. The place sits up on the hill in Santa Theresa, and it’s one of the top ten places I’ve stayed in my life.

Went there for a party and had a great time.

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