Reviews of Casa 579

31 January 2012 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Great hostel set in an old colonial style house. The staff are extremely friendly and very helpful. Great relaxed vibe. Although not next to the beach it is located well for lapa and centro as well as visiting the christ. Rooms are very spacious and it has an amazing roof terrace. The breakfasts are also very varied which is great after eating bread and jam for months.

Disliked: Other comments are correct in terms of location, this is not next to shops, supermarkets etc however there is a great restaurant 2 mins away. Transport to get to and from the hostel is however extremely easy as the kombi's pick you up straight outside your door. I wouldnt let location deter you from this brilliant hostel.

27 January 2012 BELINDA would recommend this property

Liked: FANTASTIC breakfast - the cake that Dona Vera makes was the best thing to wake up to in the morning! The views are absolutely stunning, and Vadir is an expert about Rio. The surrounding area of Santa Teresa is beautiful.

Disliked: Sometimes the kitchens and bathrooms got a bit dirty and too chaotic with too many people staying at the hostel than it could handle. The location is beautiful, but difficult to reach sometimes, especially by reluctant taxis.

22 November 2011 Roger would recommend this property

Liked: Located right at the top of a hill in Santa Teresa, the location is beautiful with a view over most of Rio, but it will not be everyone's cup of tea as it is remote and also located near several favelas, meaning moving around (especially at night) is best done cautiously. The staff were very friendly and helpful right from the start, allowing me to park my car in their little carpark (space for 1 vehicle only, so make sure you ask beforehand) and also helping with various tips about the area and reservations for a show in Lapa. The people running the place really went out of their way to make us feel at home. The room we stayed in was very spacious (definitely room for more than 2 people there) and clean, with simple furniture and towels provided. The bathroom was a shared one, separate from the room... and shared bathrooms of course mean that you're very dependent on other guests for cleanliness. In our case, it was reasonable, not spotless. Breakfast was another positive highlight, with everyone dropping in to sit at a long long table in the lounge, with a marvelous view of a wooded mountain and Rio in the background. The food was simple (some fresh fruits, juices, bread with cheese and hams, and some cake) but delicious and nicely presented. There is an amazing rooftop terrace with hammocks and a great view over Rio - we didn't get to use it much because the weather didn't play along, but I am sure it is a feature other guests will appreciate!

Disliked: The location was not so easy to find or reach the first time around, even with a map. But overall no complaints and I would consider this good value for money, and a nice place to meet new people and make friends.

25 October 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: the owner and staff are really great!

Disliked: distance to copacabane/ipanema beaches

27 September 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Very very clean. Staff very very helpful and friendly. Easy to meet other backpackers in the evenings before going out (but most people are away exploring the city during the day and capacity for the hostel is probably only 20ish). The surrounding area is nice and safe and has an amazing view.

Disliked: Very little is within walking distance, but a quick ride in a van (very cheap) or taxi (also cheap) can get you to the nearest restaurants or nightlife in Lapa or to the Metro.

24 September 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Great Breakfast; Easy to walk to Christ the Redeemer; good transport links to lots of other attractions; very very helpful staff.

Disliked: Internet could be free

14 August 2011 Greg would recommend this property

Liked: Monkeys at breakfast (actually fed them from my hand, although they didnt come every day!); every member of staff spoke good english, and were really helpful (the most helpful we have found of any hostel we have experienced! - they provided pre-printed directions to attractions around Rio to take away, which we found VERY helpful!); staff even took us out to experience the local nightlife (which would have been overwhelming alone!); breakfast was good too! Slightly removed from the hustle and bustle of Rio centre, which we felt was nice - worth it for the 5/10 easy minutes of travel into the centre or a metro; well surrounded by combis/buses - the bus stop is literally 20 seconds away! (all of this explained by the hostel staff!)

Disliked: nothing!

24 July 2011

Liked: The house was really beautiful, big rooms and very colourful, clean and spacious with a lot of character. Breakfast was really really good, toilets and bathrooms really clean.

Disliked: Whilst the character was good, the atmosphere was not. The staff treat the hostel/guesthouse like their own home, and the guests are treated as an annoyance, which I have never experienced before. For example practising muscial instruments for hours outside our room when we first arrived after a long journey and just wanted to relax (we tried to watch tv but were told to turn it off so that she could practice cello). The other staff member had a 1-2 year old that was constantly running around screaming and banging things, again right outside our room or when we tried to watch tv. This was for several hours each day and very stressful. Neither member of staff had any awareness that this was not really what paying guests expect and instead had a lot of attitude. This ruined it for me in what could be a very good hostel if the staff had the right attitude.

09 July 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Great staff, amazing views and characterful. A wonderful, quirky neighborhood...a must see!

Disliked: Just a little tricky to get to places, but somewhat true of any location I guess

29 June 2011 Bianca would recommend this property

Liked: Good breakfast, and atmosphere. Great Value for money and the view is amazing.

Disliked: The Location was quite awkward.

26 June 2011 Danielle would recommend this property

Liked: Great hostel with great people, and some of the excellent kind of hostel staff you don't encounter often enough! More than happy to help you with every query under the sun. Santa Theresa is a beautiful neighborhood, and a nice way to get out of the more touristy beach locations and see another side of Rio. Make sure that you use the rooftop terrace during your stay.

Disliked: Nothing. After reading other reviews I was worried that getting taxi's at night might be a problem - but it's resolvable! The kombi / van service is very good.

25 June 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: One of best hostels I have stayed in. Breakfast was amazingly good. Staff really helpful with info about the area, getting about, moving on. Really impressed. Great location amidst the hills. Views are second to none. You can see statue of christ and sugarloaf as you eat breakfast and for a better view they have a great terrace with hammocks. We booked for 2 days, stayed for a week.

Disliked: Nothing

24 June 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Great staff, very clean, amazing breakfast

Disliked: Minor niggle - taxis were a little reluctant to go up the cobbled streets tosanta teresa so once we had to ask a few taxis before one would take us. Other occasions were fine though.

21 June 2011 Simon would recommend this property

Liked: Truly fantastic, homely, atmosphere and its sounds a cliche but believe it, you really are made to feel part of the ´family´. The monkeys that join you for breakfast banannas!

Disliked: The location is a bit of a pain for getting to the main attractions in Copacabana and the other beaches but its location is also its attraction as the views it offers from the hill are stunning and its in a charming, residential area.

13 June 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: The staff was very friendly and the view is absolutely amazing. You can easily walk up to the Christ statue, and Santa Theresa is a cool bohemian style area. Lapa is close too. It was very clean and very nicely kept.

Disliked: Although the location is great for getting to the Christ statue and Lapa, its far from the beach, and finding Cabs to take you back to the Hostel can be challenging.

12 June 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Lovely hostel, gorgeous rooms with great views. Staff very knowledgeable and helpful. Best breakfast in a hostel in Brazil (we stayed in 3 different hostels!) Location is not the most convenient however it was nice to be in a different location away from the usual tourist areas.

Disliked: Only negative comment is that on the website it says 25% off in May and June but it wasnt clear if this had already been deducted from the quoted price (apparently it had).

11 June 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: This place is amazing. It´s in a lovely location in the hills with views of christ the redeemer and sugar loaf mountain. The staff are all really informative and helpful and go out of their way to answer questions. The breakfast provided is brilliant and you even get to see monkey´s from the breakfast table. Good lounge and really chilled out atmosphere.

Disliked: It´s a little way out of town but it´s easy enough to get in on the buses and combi´s.

10 June 2011 Christopher would recommend this property

Liked: This rating is in no way an exageration, it was a real tribute to our South American adventure which has now come to an end. The only questionable feature of the hostel is it's location, a beautiful location, but a lengthy journey to other sites of interest! More than made up for by the family house-hold feel around the hostel, the rooms, showers, breakfast and staff! They will go out of their way to make your trip great! Make sure you make the most of the room terrace! AMAZING!

Disliked: See above

09 June 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: The staff are so friendly and knowledgeable/helpful. We stayed in the 8 bed dorm with en-suite and checked out to experience the beaches in Ipanema. We checked out of another hostel after 2 days and went back to Casa. We loved it so much!!!

Disliked: Some people say that the location is far out, but there is plenty of vans and combi's to get down to Lapa and Centro. If you want the beaches this isn't the place for you!

09 June 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: House is beautiful. Fantastic views

Disliked: Location, I'm 26 and ended up spending most of my time in the Ipanema, Copacabana, Leblon, Lapa areas which were all a decent (30 reales) cab ride away. Those add up over time.

29 April 2011 Nikhil would recommend this property

Liked: The staff were absolutely amazing - went out of their way to help us out. The views from the property are also breathtaking.

Disliked: Nothing.

25 April 2011 Daniella would recommend this property

Liked: Part of the staff is really nice and helpful specially if youy are a foreigner and can´t speak a word in Portuguese. But if you´re Brazilian you´ll end up having to speak English in your own country. There are only foreigner there. I found unconfortable. Bute the living room is great, view is great and breakfast is large and delicious.

Disliked: Only for foreigners. The dorm with the bunk beds was really hot in April and the fan didn´t work properly. It can be a little far from the city and even from the center in Santa Tereza. But it´s good to relax.

03 April 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Esopecially very very nice and helpful staff. Very interesting people with great projects of social help in Favelas. Also very unique location in Santa Teresa, in close neighborhood of three favelas and beatiful view from the hostel's terrace.

Disliked: Maybe difficulty with transportantion means but you cannot have it all, it is up the hill so you can enjoy beautiful views but obviously few transport means reach the place.

30 March 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Very friendly and helpful staff who was never tired to explain over and over again how to get around in rio. Even if its not centrally located in Santa Teresa, there is an amazing view to Christo Redentor and Sugarloaf from the common area and the roof terrasse! You have good connections to buses, collectivos and the Bonde tram: They offer an exceptionally good breakfast!

Disliked: Its a bit of a walk to Santa Teresa centre or you have to take a bus. There are shared sanitary facilities.

15 March 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: It is located in Santa Theresa with amazing views of Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf and the whole city with roof deck and picture windows. The hostel is really beautiful and peaceful, and is basically a large house in the hills. The staff is friendly and helpful. It's like staying at a bed and breakfast.

Disliked: The location is a bit difficult to get in and out of as it requires a combi up and down the hill to the metro station. It's worth it if you'd like a place tucked away from the hustle of Copacabana. Also, a good place if you want to see restaurants and shops in Santa Theresa.