Liberdade Guesthouse

This works if you’re okay with something closer to a hostel than a hotel. Just know the walls are thin and the place doesn’t feel cozy.

Pretty good.

It’s clean and nicely located, but there’s no reception. When you first arrive, working out how to get to your room could be tricky.

The location is the only thing going for this place. The apartment is in an old building that’s badly maintained, and it used to be a pathology lab. You can still see the “Hidalgo de Lima Laboratory” signs on the windows. The whole place feels gloomy and hospital-like. Even the rubber flooring is still there, dirty and worn. Walking into the room, we were hit by a strong damp and plumbing smell. We were told they’d recently done work to fix the damp, but it looked like they’d only covered it with rigid plastic. The sheets smelled musty too. The furniture and decor were awful, and the bed was uncomfortable, with a spring mattress on a solid cement base. After an hour, we left and found somewhere else because the atmosphere was unbearable. The shared facilities were less bad: there’s a small kitchen, though no refrigerator, and a balcony. Still, the entire apartment feels damp and gloomy, and the floor, like something from a veterinary clinic, adds to it. We messaged the owner on WhatsApp about the smell. She sent a few messages we didn’t have time to read, then deleted them and said there’d be no refund because we’d used the shower. It feels like a business trying to get the most money out of the least investment.