Reef Hostel & Pousada

WARNING! I booked this Reef Hostel for a 3-day stay for two people who were doing some work for me, and upon arriving at the room, we found that the air conditioning was blowing air and not cooling. The employee then tried another, simpler room, and again the air conditioning didn't work; it had the same problem. This made it impossible to stay there. The receptionist said that the only rooms available were those shown. We paid 450 reais via Pix (Brazilian payment system) for this reservation, and in the end, they didn't refund us. He himself saw that it was impossible for anyone to sleep there in those conditions, but kept saying to wait, that it would cool down. It was a huge embarrassment!

With the exception of one young woman who arrived in the morning, the other employees act as if they are doing a great favor.

WARNING about Reef Hotel Recife: I made a three-night reservation through Booking.com at the Reef Hostel Pousada. However, I needed to change the date, and since I couldn't do it through the website, I contacted them via WhatsApp. A staff member informed me that I could pay the reservation fee of 450 reais via PIX (Brazilian instant payment system) and they would hold the accommodation for another date. I made the payment as agreed and booked a double room with separate beds and air conditioning. However, upon arriving at the hotel, my husband, the two other guests, and I found that the air conditioning was not working properly; it didn't cool, leaving the room extremely hot. The employee offered another room with two bunk beds, but it had the same air conditioning problem. We waited a while to see if the unit would cool down, but it didn't. Given this situation, we did not stay there, as there were no minimum conditions to remain in the room. We left the hotel. Upon arriving home, I requested a refund, but the hotel refused, claiming that the air conditioning was working perfectly, that the unit needed time to cool down, and that Recife is a hot city. It's incredibly brazen to treat a customer in such a despicable way. The contracted service was not provided adequately. I await a solution, or I will take legal action; make no mistake about it.

The location is great, the hostel is excellent, and the view from the rooftop terrace is a bonus! I didn't have much contact with the staff, but from what little I did interact with them, I liked them.

It's not as nice as it looks in the pictures. The terrace is neglected, the hallways and walls are dirty, and the bathrooms are the same. The rooms are very hot, and the floor is ugly. The welcome in the lobby wasn't pleasant. I requested a room that I thought had AC, but it only has a noisy fan. When I asked for an upgrade, they told me to "tough it out" instead of helping me resolve the issue. It's terrible because the window doesn't even have a screen, and I woke up covered in insect bites. It's unacceptable that they don't have AC and can't even provide a screen... Even the Wi-Fi doesn't work properly. I feel ripped off by the pictures they show, as it's nothing like it is.

The hotel room smelled dirty, but since it was only for one night, it was okay. The air conditioning wasn't cooling, it felt like a breeze. The bathroom next to the room had a very strong smell of urine. The downstairs bathroom was clean.

I made a reservation at this hostel for the price listed on the website. I called to confirm. They simply cancelled the reservation and didn't refund my R$129.00 deposit, which was the price listed on the website. I even have screenshots of the reservation price and the amount I paid. Unaware that my reservation had been cancelled, I called the hostel. A person named Jackson, who must be the owner, spoke to someone named Jackson, who would likely be so rude and provide such poor service. When I told him I had made a reservation, he hung up on me and then stopped answering. Without knowing my reservation was cancelled, I called an Uber to the hostel, but they didn't answer. I called on the intercom, and they said they refunded my reservation and cancelled it without giving a reason. When I said I was going to complain, the guy said he wasn't going to listen to me make a scene. I swear, the guy cancelled my reservation without giving a reason, and when I called on the intercom trying to understand, he said I was making a scene. He didn't have the decency to come talk to me in person to explain anything. By the way, the money they said they refunded never went through on my Pix payment. I have screenshots showing the amount I paid and the amount advertised on their website and Instagram. Now I don't know how to get my money back. I don't recommend this place. They act in bad faith, don't resolve the problem, and blame others, using lies. It's no wonder they have this pathetic rating here. I don't understand how the Ministry of Tourism allows a place like this to operate. I hope other places in the city are more courteous and honest.