The Pros: 1) Each of the dorm beds had privacy screens so you could have your own little space. Each bed also had it´s own reading light and electric outlet. 2) Good breakfast with many options 3) It is in a beautiful old mansion... architecture lovers will appreciate it for that 4) If you want to experience the Lapa street party on Friday night, this is walking distance (if you can handle the hill) 5) Although not huge, the front/common space is pretty nice.
The Cons: 1) It is at the TOP of a HILL. And by top I mean ITS UP THERE. Forget running out to grab something at a store or restaurant real quick, because the whole way back is quite a hike. And once you get to the front gate, there is another huge hill you have to climb up to the building. 2) On my last day there, I woke up in the morning to a line of ants crawling across my pillow and all over my bed. I was the only person this happened to and it hadn´t happened the previous nights so I am convinced this was a total fluke for some reason, but it still freaked me out a bit. Glad that was the last night there. 3) Neighborhood is a bit rough around the edges but not terrible if you´re used to city living. We stayed here a few nights and then moved to Ipanema for a change of scenery. 4) Even though the building is beautiful, you can tell it unfortunately has missed out on some maintenance on the back side where the dorms are hidden away. There was a water seepage problem in the corner wall of our room and it smelled very lightly of mold. Nothing terrible but I am sure if they don´t fix it soon, it will just get worse.