I love staying at quality bed and breakfast establishments. When they get it right, you feel like…read moreyou are staying with a very wealthy relative that wants to make sure you have a good time when you visit. The simple fact that this place has only 4 or 5 rooms that means that the staff personal knows who you are and they truly tailor their level of service to your needs. If you want assistance with anything they are more than happy to assist you. This place is stunningly gorgeous and immaculately clean. Beautiful view of the city. The have a large spread for breakfast every morning and round 8-10am. Seriously the food just kept coming. Juices, yogurts, eggs, breads, fruits, coffee, etc. And at night if you want they will mix you up a nice capirinia (or 3 if you're thirsty).

I have traveled to many countries and always enjoy staying in hostels. Small things like, no air…read moreconditioner during the day, no hot water, dirty tubs, unorganized rooms. For example, I returned one day to find a girl in my bed! She had been assigned the same bed, not the way you want to return after a long day of walking around! Those were all minor mishaps that could have been overlooked but One major thing that has scarred me for life would be the BED BUGS. I thought the itching might be from mosquitos until I looked online.When I approached the staff about the issue, he seemed more worried about the beer pong tourney downstairs. I was told there was nothing he could do until I requested switching a mattress. He made me carry it up 3 floors, and he complained I was taking his time and he needed to be downstairs. The following day as I checked out, the mattress sat in the lobby! So disgusting and they didn't even offer any compensation and stated it was all part of the experience! This was the worst experience I've ever had and would not recommend this hostel to anyone.

I enjoy party hostels but at Books it was impossible to get away from the party, plus the…read morefacilities (bathrooms) are outdated and Lapa is a shithole in the daytime. But, if you're coming to Rio to have a blast and get hammered with other travellers then this is the place for you. The staff were awesome, and though it's far from the beach it's surrounded by supermarkets and cheap food

I spent six nights at Pousada Guarana, in the beautiful town of Paraty, and I can't recommend it…read moreenough. The rooms are beautifully decorated, spotlessly clean and wonderfully quiet. The pousada itself is kept to the same standard, with wonderful friendly staff. Breakfast was lovely and set me up for the day, I still hanker after those delicious fresh cakes and good strong coffee. David and his wife, the owners, couldn't have been more helpful if they tried, from suggesting things to do (but not pushing expensive tours on you) to providing us with umbrellas, they were awesome. The only thing I could say is that it's a 10 minute walk out of town. But I have to say there's a big positive to that; there are a lot of things on the way to town you might miss out on; the canal walk on an evening, the lovely and cheap barbeque grills, the local bars full of life. Added to that, the Pousada has bikes you can use for free if you can't face walking, so it's no inconvenience at all. The local buses also pick up right at the end of the street, making travel to the many great surrounding towns and places both easy and cheap. So, I can't recommend it enough, if you're going to stay in Paraty, Pousada Guarana should be top of your list :D

Totally agree with the first review. We stayed here in Nov 2007 - were slightly concerned about the…read moredistance to the center, but we so glad we stayed out here. Prices are lower, rooms are bigger and it is much quieter. The owners were very helpful, not pushing tours on us. We took the local buses a couple of times, once to Trinidade and once to the start of the walk to Praia do Sono. Lovely people and lovely place. Def recommend