Pousada Dos Reis

The green two-story Pousada Dos Reis offers a tranquil location surrounded by a large, well maintained garden full of tropical trees like bamboo, banana, and bougainvilleas. The pousada has decorated its main restaurant and lobby in solid bold colors. Love it or hate it, the paint job does offer some personality: Brazilian colors of orange, blue, and green, reminiscent of the Carnival parades. The small lobby features the same color theme, but is set with more subdued white sofas and rustic furniture. A flat-screen TV sits on a low-wooden table. Both families and couples, mostly from South America, stay here. 

The pousada has a quiet, residential location less than a kilometer from the Tartaruga Beach, which is good for swimming and relaxing. Distance to Búzios downtown area is about 15 to 20 minutes away by walking. Many guests arrive with cars, but the main road, with minivan and bus-stops, is only a couple of hundred meters away, making it accessible via public transportation. 

Búzios is famous mainly for it's natural beauty of more than 20 beaches and surrounding forests. This former sleeping fishing village was made world famous by the media, when the French actress Brigitte Bardot visited the village in 1960s. Since then Búzios has become a world class holiday destination, and is among the top beach resorts in South America. The city gets full during the hot summer months (December to March). The New Year and Carnival times are the two peak seasons, when the town is totally full and hotel and pousada prices tend to double compared to low season prices. The city does not offer much in the way of man-made attractions, but it does have a romantic and idyllic vibe, thanks to the well conserved downtown area with cobblestone streets and a high concentration of restaurants, boutiques, art galleries, and night clubs. 

The pousada offers 42 rooms in three categories: Standard, Deluxe, and VIP; the majority of them were updated in 2014 but there's already some evident wear and tear. VIP and Deluxe Rooms come with balconies and whirlpools while the Standard Rooms are located in the garden area. Family Rooms include a kitchenette with a sink, mini-fridge, and microwave. The rooms are quite basic, but clean, and provide space and light with high, vaulted ceilings. Floral art and light green walls add a bit of color. Floors feature white ceramic tiles, and walls are painted in pleasant pastel colors. Most furniture and cabinets are painted white. Rooms feature air conditioners, minibars, safes, and flat-screen TVs. Bathrooms look standard with single sinks, tile walls and floors, and showers. Hairdryers and toiletries are provided. 

The pousada features a restaurant next to the pool that serves a typical Brazilian breakfast buffet of fruits, juices, cold cuts, bread, eggs, and sausages. The restaurant serves a la carte meals and an occasional buffet for lunch and dinner offering both regional food and international cuisine. Room service is available from midday until late evening. The pool bar serves serves tropical cocktails and snacks. 

The hotel offers two pools. The first pool is 20 meters long, and the other, smaller pool is for kids. The sun deck has chairs, tables, and sun beds. Bikes are available to rent and there's a computer for guests' use in the lobby. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout. An on-site meeting/function room can host 120 people. DVDs and souvenirs are available for sale in the lobby. 

The front desk staff -- as is common in Brazil -- offers concierge services. They sells tickets to Búzios and Cabo Frio city and boat tours, and can organize car rentals or dive and snorkeling trips. Parking is free, as is the minivan shuttle to Tartaruga Beach and downtown Búzios.