Pousada da Charuta

The owners gave us good support.

The staff were polite, and the dining area was airy and organized, with gloves, masks, and hand sanitizer available. The internet was great too. The inn itself is very simple but clean, with tiny rooms and bathrooms and no soundproofing, so outside noise comes right through. There were only two outlets: one for the mini-fridge, and the bathroom one wouldn’t fit any plug, even with adapters. The shower water and temperature changed abruptly. Breakfast was basic but tasty, except for the cashew juice. Orange juice would have been better. It felt very expensive for what the inn offers.

We stayed at Pousada Charuta from 09/01/2020 to 16/01/2020, and the service was a real highlight. The owner, doormen, and the staff in the kitchen and cleaning were all very welcoming. They accept pets too. Breakfast was excellent, varied, and high quality, though we got cashew juice every day for six days and there was no orange juice option. We were in Apt 5 with three adults and a pet. It was clean and smelled fresh, with no mold, though small for us. The air conditioning worked very well but was a noisy wall unit; some other rooms have split units. The mini-fridge cooled well, but its top door seal was dried out and no longer closed properly, leaving a gap of almost a centimeter and making the compressor run longer. The Apt 6 door hinges could use lubricant too, since the squeaking when people came and went was bothersome at night. The location is excellent, a block from Itaguá beach, with an ATM, supermarkets, lottery shop, bars, restaurants, stores, small malls, and a cinema nearby. Banco do Brasil and CEF are 3.5 km away. Great value for money, and we’d recommend it and come back. A few small fixes would make it five stars.

We felt misled and left very disappointed. Three years ago, we saw the Pousada on Google and booked for January, since that’s when I can take vacation. The photos convinced us, but they didn’t reflect what we found. After a tiring drive through heavy traffic with my husband and two children, we couldn’t wait to arrive. Instead, we were told to park across the street, behind another house. Then we learned we’d be staying across the street, at the back of another home, not in Pousada Charuta, which was the place the website photos had sold us on. The little room was beside their laundry area, where staff came and went to handle sheets, tablecloths, and towels. It was small, basic, and clean, with a bunk bed almost touching the ceiling, a double bed taking up most of the space, a small mini-fridge, tiny bathroom, few outlets, and air conditioning. There was no view except staff or the owner passing by. We planned to stay five days but left after two, already looking for somewhere else. When my husband settled the bill, they charged us extra despite knowing how unhappy we were. Nearby, Pousada Trilha do Sol / ITAGUÁ looked more like a chic hotel, with a pool, breakfast, room service, and parking. It was beautiful and cozy, and its stay was cheaper than theirs. This place was expensive and didn’t deliver what its website seemed to promise. I was frustrated, and we felt deceived. Never again.