Historic Centre Hostel is an odd hostel run by an older, eccentric English man who has lived in Brazil for years but doesn't speak a word of Portuguese (but his staff is bilingual).
The Location
The hostel is located downtown, a few blocks from most everything. It's on a quiet, dark street so there is little outside noise to disturb you. Because it's in the part of town where traffic is not allowed, there is not even car noise. To get there, go straight on the main road, when you get to the city center/park, go three blocks more and take a left. It's right next to the Cultural Center, so if you can't find it, ask for that.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The rooms and bathrooms in this hostel leave much to be desired. The main dorm has ten beds and is located in an attic-like room. You have to go up steep stairs and there is no bathroom in the room. There is also a four-person dorm, but it wasn't even offered to us, even though there were beds open. With ten people in a room, there is always someone coming and going or turning on the light. There are no curtains on the windows, so the room gets light early. The place seems secure, but the dorm door doesn't lock and there are no lockers. The owner has a safe in his room if you have something you want to keep safe.
There is only one bathroom for the ten-bed dorm, which is shared with the lounge/kitchen/bar area. We're sure they clean it regularly, but even when the hostel isn't full it gets kind of gross pretty quickly. There is nowhere to put your bathroom things (there is a hook for your towel), and the sink is abnormally high.
Common Spaces
The common spaces are nice and it is a very social hostel. There are lots of couches, cable TV/DVD, and two computers with free internet, and outside there is a nice little terrace where you can catch a game of chess or checkers. There is a book exchange (limited selection, one for one) and a kitchen that has very limited supplies to cook. There is a fridge, but no drinks can be stored in it.
Summary
Overall, the first impression of this hostel is mixed. It's hard to sleep in the big dorm and bathrooms are a bit scary, but it's really nice to meet people and hang out.
— Exklusive Hostelz.com Übersicht
August 2008
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