oztel at Rio
Half hip hostel, half laidback boutique hotel, this might not be the place for the quiet life, but as an affordable entry point to vibrant Botafogo, Oztel is hard to beat. The lobby-cum-courtyard is at its heart, dappled with local contemporary art and invariably strewn with weary-looking travellers, but things get going once the sun sets and the bar warms up. There are also some excellent restaurants nearby, and most of the city’s beaches and attractions can be reached in just a short taxi ride.
Location
Botafogo may not have the pulling power of Copacabana or Ipanema, but both are to be found within a swift taxi ride, and the gorgeous Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas is a short walk away. What the neighbourhood does offer is a wealth of excellent restaurants and bars, from the cheap, young and trendy to the upmarket and extravagant. There’s also easy access (traffic permitting) to the city’s main attractions.
Style
The converted villa’s decoration is a trawl through contemporary Carioca design, with indie art installations by local crew Muda and some fairly out-there decorations like wall-mounted monkey heads (not real, thankfully) and colourful PET-bottle ‘chandeliers’. The ground floor bar and courtyard can get a bit hostel-y by day as the backpacks pile up, but, being under the same ownership as hip local bars Meza and Barzinho, this is as cool as they come.
Service
Irrepressibly friendly and with local tips galore, there is an attitude-free approach to guests that many of Rio’s bigger hotels would do well to learn from.
Rooms
The second-floor dorm rooms are nicely laid out and the bunks are comfy, but the six third-floor suites are a treat. Televisions and air conditioning are standard, and ‘Paquetá’ has a garden view and rainforest mural that fits in with the random birdcages nicely. At the far end of the corridor ‘Liberdade’ has a larger bathroom and a private garden with unspoilt views of Cristo Redentor perched atop Corcovado. Not all of the bathrooms have doors, and the floors are just a simple buffed cement finish, but Oztel’s appeal lies firmly in the eccentrically designed rooms.
Food & drink
The bar has hosted cocktail classes with infamous local mixologist Sandra Mendes in the past, and enough of her signature flair remains to attract the public at large during weekends. Snacks are available from 5pm until midnight, when the chef conjures up a small selection of burgers and sides like fried polenta.
Value for money
Double rooms from R$120 ($34), including breakfast. Free Wi-Fi. Dorm rooms from R$46 ($13). The suites are excellent value for money for anybody looking for comfort and a touch of local style at a fraction of the price of those found in Ipanema and Copacabana.
Family-friendly? No, strictly for those on a tighter budget and not in need of creature comforts.
And also keep in mind that, at the moment, your 1 dollar equals 3,50 reais! It’s an amazing time in economy for those who have dollars. You can “stretch” your savings.
Website http://www.oztel.com.br
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