Ipanema Wave Hostel Reviews

awesome location, so close to everything, ALEX was an unreal reception help, organised tours, heaps of info and fun to party with. booked for a 6bed female dorm, stayed in squashed hot and cramped 4 bed room ajoined to another 6bed room, bathroom facilities v basic, no hot water, 1 night power and water cut out = no toilets, but really friendly staff, there are about 10 other hostels in the same side street/alley, which are a little more pricey but probably worth looking at over ipanema.

The breakfast was awfull, i' couln't take a single hot shower in the 4 days i stood and the place was a huge mess due to reparations. The only pros i can think of: the location and the good treatment of the staff.

The staff - especially Alex - were very friendly and helpful. The main issue with the hostel: lack of water. There was frequently only one source of running water in the hostel, the kitchen sink. 80% of the time, you were not able to use any shower, any other sinks, or any toilet in the hostel. Sometimes, even the kitchen sink wouldn't be able to provide, at which point we were forced to go elsewhere to find drinking water. This hostel would be 10X better if it fixed its plumbing issues.

Tripadvisor reviews may scare you off, but the hostel was in a great location and is cheaper than some of the hostels on the same street (5 or 6 hostels next door). Breakfast was not quite like other hostels in Brazil but most breakfasts in Rio seem basic. Staff was fun to hang out with.

There's no pool, bar or breakfast but other than that this hostel is fine. The whole place could probably do with a good scrub but it's not filthy and it's certainly a lot cleaner than many hostels I've stayed in. Kitchen is basic but usable and the courtyard area it shares with the other hostels is a great place to meet other people although security will ask you to leave after 10pm.