Stone of a Beach hostel, Rio

Stone of a Beach is yet another one of those places where you go to party, not to sleep. Not that there's anything wrong with that :P. Situated in the heart of Copacabana, it's rivalled only by the infamous Mellow Yellow as "the place to stay" in Rio. And with its sunny rooftop occupied by a well-stocked bar, a comfy TV room, and a sizzling hot jacuzzi, you couldn't ask for much more, as far as having fun at your hostel goes.

Rooms: crowded, messy, and noisy; but reasonably hygienic.

People: "the party crowd". Lots of Aussies (here for the surf), plus all the usual European suspects.

Staff: friendly, eager to join in the partying, and mostly English-speaking.

Location: middle of Copacabana, a few blocks from the beach. Convenient, in the action, and a reasonably safe area (by Rio standards).

Food: nice buffet breakfast of cake, bread, dulce de leche, cereal, and fresh fruit. Sadly though, only coffee, no tea. They also do BBQ dinners sometimes.

Internet: 3 reliable Linux terminals, available 24/7.

Hot water: quite good.