TRAVELThe Rio Hostels That Turn Budget Travel Into Something Special4 min read

The Colonial Building That Keeps Winning Awards

A restored colonial building with a metro station at the end of the block and Lapa — Rio’s nightlife heartbeat — just down the road. This hostel has been voted the best in all of Latin America, year after year. Check in and you’ll understand why within the first hour.

Staff run nightly events that make meeting people effortless. Buffet breakfast and an evening happy hour stretch your budget further. Bunks come with privacy curtains, individual lights, and sockets, though some rooms stack beds three-high, so specify your preference when booking. One honest caveat: the Wi-Fi can be patchy. Remote workers should look elsewhere.

Party Hostel With a Prime Beach Address

Wedged between Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, Pura Vida leans hard into the party hostel identity. Karaoke nights, boat tours, a bar that hums from happy hour through last call. The staff are the gregarious kind that remember your name by day two. A large communal kitchen handles self-catering, and a small breakfast is available each morning for a fee.

The metal bunk beds are basic — no privacy curtains, no reading lights, no individual outlets. Dorm rooms have no air conditioning, though private rooms do. None of that matters if you’re here to dance. What does matter: the hostel sits at the edge of one of Rio’s favelas. Conditions vary neighborhood to neighborhood, but staying alert at night and not walking back alone is worth treating seriously.