Hostel Girl From Ipanema

Worst Hostel
This hostel is owned by an hysterical lady and her son, who will do whatever in their power to get as much money out of you as possible. We were first lied to and told that theirs was the only hostel with space left, and that all the prices are the same. All the other hostels in the courtyard of hostels are cheaper and offer free breakfast, which was not available at GFI. We were in a crowded room and the fans were broken, so it was hot every night. They then kicked my friend out and charged her a higher rate in retrospective, as she had paid some nights in advance -- as a result she paid over $130 USD more than she should have, for poor service. We also paid more than what we had paid for beds in a smaller dorm, with private bathroom, daily clean sheets, and breakfast during Carnaval in the heart of the Pelo in Salvadore! We also booked a tour with the woman, hoping to get the sights we wanted to see in Rio done -- we mentioned three places we wanted to ensure we would see and only one of these was on the tour she sold us, despite her telling us that they would all be there. The woman and her son are not nice people, and don't deserve to have guests -- her hostel is not secure, and the woman is likely to turn on people at any given moment, taking whatever she can from them, swearing at people and humiliating people. There are plenty of great hostels in Rio. Rio is the best city in the world, don't let Girl from Ipanema Hostel spoil your stay!

Unsafe
our room was like a half finished building, with raw ceiling, the wall dropping down on us, electrical wires unsecured and hanging out of the wall, without any window (maybe the room is in renovation process?). they do have bathrooms comfortable to use, serve free coffee and milk in the morning for 35 reals per person for a dorm bed and keep clean sheets. the lady of the house doesnt pay the security fee (to have a security guard present -- unchecked information, just from talking to other owners around) and the dorms or rooms cant be locked with a key, the doors to enter the building are open all the time during daytime, during night people do lock it or even not. we demanded the key of the room when we checked in, but the lady said it is safe enough and she is around all the time. so we couldnt lock the room. We experienced the low security and care for guests' stuff on our own when one of the backpacks was stolen from our room in broad daylight. we called the police, and there is also a video camera, but we couldnt watch the tape, because the guy who has the password wasnt present in these days (isn't the camera for such cases?). the son of the lady told me to stop making the fuss about stolen backpack two hours after the theft was realised, cause it is stolen and they (the owners) dont need or want any stress anymore. the lady told me that she had never had so much stress in her life and that i am not being nice to her (she didnt lift a finger to help by the way). also she wouldnt rent me a bike the day after the theft accusing me of having a plan to leave the bike in order to be stolen from her or even sell it. how low can you go? we wont see the backpack again, but with some better care for security of guests maybe it wont happen to anyone again.

If you ever reach Rio de Janeiro and want to spend a great time, never avoid this hostel -- with a familiar atmosphere, very friendly people, and helpful staff, which can arrange everything you need. Just about two minutes walk to Ipanema beach, this spot makes a great choice for everyone who wants to feel in Rio like at home!

i have traveled around brasil quite a few times and when i am in rio i stay at the hostel because it is really friendly and the location is good. and the staff are very helpful and friendly whatever the time of day. they ensure that all the information you need for staying in rio is on display and updated. i have stayed in many hostels on my around the world travels and this one stands out as you feel like you're in a home with friends rather than a place you are just paying for. i highly recommend staying there, as i came for a week this time and ended up staying for nearly three weeks -- that's because of the hostel and Rio.