Pura Vida Hostel

This hostel is excellent and very social. I stayed with a friend during the carnival, and we had a fantastic experience. Our private room was great, the atmosphere was welcoming, and the staff were lovely. The hostel organized daily activities and shared them via WhatsApp, ensuring it was easy to meet new people and always having something to do. The location is also ideal, just a five-minute walk from Copacabana Beach. Michele was exceptional, she helped me with several requests in a personable and professional manner, going above and beyond to make my stay enjoyable. I truly appreciate all her help. I would definitely stay here again - in fact, I’m already planning to!

This is a great place! The staff is very friendly, the rooms and bathrooms are clean and they offer a great breakfast. The bar also has some good options with reasonable prices and everyday there is something to do, like funk classes, caipirinhas workshop or karaoke. I had the best time and highly recommend. Besides that, the hostel it’s just 1 block away from Copacabana beach and it’s within a walking distance from Ipanema as well.

Let me save you the trouble: steer clear of Pura Vida Hostel in Brazil if you're heading to Rio.My experience at this establishment was disappointing, to say the least. The hostel staff lacked basic manners and appeared disinterested in providing quality service. Requests for basic amenities, such as fresh towels and toilet paper, were often overlooked. Additionally, cleanliness standards were not upheld, with the room often left untidy and windows left wide open, posing a huge security risk. Moreover, the room itself was cramped and poorly maintained, with malfunctioning plug sockets, a broken shower, and unstable bunk bed. The bedding did not fit properly, and the lack of safes and inadequate door locks raised security concerns. Inconsistent WiFi further detracted from the overall experience. We booked a room of 5 and were told there would be 3 on a bunk bed but it was a 2 person bunk bed but they just gave a thin mattress to put on the floor - it was far from what we booked. Attempts to address these issues with the staff were met with indifference, further exacerbating our dissatisfaction. Furthermore, the hostel's location necessitated navigating numerous steps, which proved cumbersome. It is worth noting that the hostel is situated near a Favela, a detail that should be disclosed in their advertising to accommodate guests' comfort levels. I have no intention of returning to this establishment in the future and will let people know not to stay here.

A very cool experience. The staff was really nice, everyday you have a different activity you can be a part of: from karaoke and dance lessons to quiz nights or free tours. The location is close to Copacabana beach where you can see the sunrise and the Ipanema beach where you can see the sunset with the favelas literally glittering. Also, Lulu's cooking (the local cook) was really good.

I absolutely loved my stay at Pura Vida! I stayed with a friend and we were able to connect with a lot of the staff, Ivan in particular was the best part of our trip! He was incredibly friendly, helpful, and he showed us the best parts of Rio! Be mindful that the hostel is at the entrance to a favela, but also keep in mind favelas are just places where people live. I’ve seen some reviews from other people claiming they had bad experiences but everyone in and around the favela was very friendly. Just be a conscious traveler, try to contribute to the community while you’re staying there, and overall don’t be an ignorant foreigner :) Partake in all of the events Pura Vida organizes as well, they have something planned everyday of the week and I met a lot of cool individuals in my time there!

I really enjoyed my stay at the Pura Vida hostel. The aesthetic is really nice, with a cool outside bar terrace at the back where they host fun events and have cheap drinks. The Hostel is really social and there are always loads of different day trips/ night outs you can attend. All the staff are really nice, especially Karol who was super helpful and really fun. She always had time to chat and made my stay really enjoyable. I’d defo stay here again.