The hostel resides in a charming house built around 1904… Like the gentrification project of the Marvelous Port it’s still in a bit of a rough state. But since we’re opening specially for these events, everything is brand new. Freshly painted rooms, new beds, sheets and towels. You’ll find all the necessities like Wi-Fi, a couple of showers and strong fans to put a breeze in the 4-½ meter high (!) rooms. But, as the name states, the place is Plain & Simple. No pool table, breakfast, bar, air conditioning, TV or the like. A place to sleep and shower in a clean environment… and for a price that beats the other hostels. The place is small and intimate. 6 rooms: 4 with three single beds, 2 with a double bed.

As host of the World Cup and the Olympics the city is pumping billions into this area to bring it back to its old splendor (Like Manhattan’s South Street Seaport, Puerto Madero of Buenos Aires, or Port Vell of Barcelona) but the gentrification is still somewhat embryonic. The street is still rough, but not dangerous. (We moved here more than a year ago and haven’t seen or even heard of any incident. Something most people living in Copacabana or Ipanema can’t claim unfortunately.)

If you are looking for a proper, bourgeois place to stay, this isn’t for you. But if you’re looking for a charming, funky and centrally located hostel, this one is great. Walking distance to Cidade do Samba, Pedra do Sal, Trapiche da Gamboa, the MAR Museum and the Port, 10 minutes by bicycle to the Center, Lapa, the national airport, the main bus terminal and the main train station. Close to the Sambadrome and the Maracana stadium.

Our port area is full of history and music: Two UNESCO-recognized sites: the recently unearthed Valongo dock where a good part of the millions of slaves that were shipped to Brazil arrived, and a slave cemetery discovered underneath a private house. Samba was born here, so there is many a neighborhood bar with beer drinking folks and Brazilian music, clu