Pousada Richard Rothe

We stayed in Room 7, which felt more like a grand suite: a large living room with two extra beds and a spacious main bedroom. The bathroom was roomy, with a walk-in shower and good spa-quality toiletries. The cooler worked perfectly, and the bed was comfortable. The small windows meant there wasn’t much of a view. The TV had lots of sports, news, music, and movie channels, mostly in Portuguese, plus apps like Netflix, Prime, and YouTube. Wi-Fi reached around the property, though the speed was patchy. There’s no gym, but the sweet little pool has a jungle backdrop that suits the colonial feel. Pousada Richard Rothe is in a restored 18th-century colonial mansion, and the preserved woodwork and period furnishings give it a real sense of history. We enjoyed wandering the gardens, spotting hummingbirds among the tropical flowers, and having afternoon tea on the veranda. With only a handful of rooms, it felt intimate. The location is handy for the historic centre, a short walk from Largo das Forras and São José Church, as well as shops, restaurants, and attractions. From the hillside, there are lovely views of the Serra São José mountains. Breakfast wasn’t a huge spread, but it was satisfying, with homemade breads, local cheeses, tropical fruit, and excellent Brazilian coffee. There’s no full-service restaurant, though the honor bar made it easy to get an evening drink in the garden. The friendly staff took care of our needs with a smile and made us feel at home.

The staff were warm and quick to suggest things to see nearby, and breakfast had a Brazilian colonial spread of pastries, cakes, fruit, and little pots of local sweets. The pool was mildly heated, enough to swim without getting chilly, though it wasn’t hot. Our room was on the first floor. The stairs up were steep, so that might be difficult for older guests, but there are also ground-floor rooms. The room itself was spacious, clean, and simple but had what we needed: air conditioning, a minibar, open TV we probably wouldn’t use, and free Wi-Fi that ran slowly. It looked a bit dated, though that fit the pousada’s style. The bathroom was large and complete. The hot water gets very hot, so we used almost all cold water and just a little hot. We did miss having bedside lights for reading before sleep. It’s a complex of restored old houses on a fairly quiet, though large, street.

Even though it’s so quiet, the pousada is just a minute’s walk from the main sights. The place is beautiful and decorated with real taste, the staff are helpful, attentive, and friendly, and breakfast is generous and very nice. Highly recommend.

I stayed at Pousada Richard Rothe in May and had a really nice time. The location was good, the room was large and very clean, and there was even a swimming pool. Breakfast was amazing, and the staff were friendly. When I had a problem with my bus, they sorted everything out and were very customer-focused. Sorry it took me so long to write this, and thanks again for everything. You were great, and I’ll definitely come back. JM