Confirmed my booking months ago. Bought my flight around this date. Then cancelled weeks later due to “technical issues beyond their ability to resolve”. Of course, prices for their own hostels and alternatives in Rio had doubled in this time period, leaving me unable to find an alternative that was not €100 per night for a dorm. When reaching out to Che Lagarto politely but upset, they were completely unwilling to accomodate in any way possible, basically saying “tough luck” and afterwards ignoring me and blocking me. Absolute ballentent.

I had a confirmed reservation at this hotel and they cancelled it only a few days before my arrival, claiming there was an issue with my credit card. My card works perfectly and was verified with my bank, so the explanation did not make sense. When I contacted the hotel, they simply told me it was “sold out” and offered no help or alternative. Right after the cancellation, I noticed that rooms were suddenly available again at much higher prices. This made the whole situation feel extremely unfair and left me with the impression that my booking was cancelled to resell the room at a higher rate. As a result, I was left without accommodation at the last minute, facing much higher prices elsewhere. This is unprofessional and very disappointing. I cannot recommend this hotel based on this experience.

Pros: 1. Location : 200m walk to the Ipanema beach 2. Staff very friendly 3. Neat and clean dorm with bathroom ensuite Cons: 1. We were placed in 10-bed mixed dorm when we had booked a 6-bed mixed dorm

location is right next to Ipanema beach, and staff were amazing. The hostel is quite small though and beds and room were not cleaned regularly. Overall it was good because of the staff and their free caipirinhas and traveler activities. Breakfast was also good! I just wish they implement more of the hostel rules to the travelers as is is hard to sleep because rooms were small and right next to the street. Otherwise it is okay if you always wanna party.

Honestly, it was really good. The location of course is perfect (inbetween the Leblon and Ipanema district, and one block away from Ipanema beach). The service is really good, the breakfast are good. Most important of all, good vibes. Therefore, all the guests are nice with each other. Overall, I heavily recommend this youth hostel if you’re traveling alone and you’re visiting Rio for less than a week.