See here a testimonial abou our Pousada - Guesthouse at TripAdvisor: 

Casa Aurea is a great retreat from the heavily populated tourist areas. It sits upon the hills of Santa Teresa where the winding cobblestone streets and an old-fashion tram gives the neighbourhood a historical charm. You may go up by the historic tram, called "Bonde", an enchanting experience. On the near by streets of the Casa are a few small grocery stores, restaurants and other various stores I didn't get a chance to venture into.

At a quick glance, the casa has 13 rooms with a variety of accommodations ranging from dormitory style to private rooms with washrooms. There are plenty of communal areas which add sociability to the place. As well there is a guest kitchen to incase you want to dine in.

A fridge near the main kitchen is stocked with a small variety of drinks. This is their honour bar which you take a drink and mark down what you have taken. Downstairs near the other guest rooms is their computer room with one PC. It has internet access and  wireless access in case you bring your own equipment. You get a key to the front gate so you can come and go as you please.

I guess what is nice about the place is the people you meet and the atmosphere there. The age of the guests seem to range from the age of 25 to 50 with a majority of them being 25-35. The host of the Casa, Cornelius, has a motto, "Make your self at home". Everyone at the casa seemed okay with this concept since they left all their belonging around the communal areas (Books, laptops, etc). I could say it actually felt like home. One more fantastic part about staying here is the guidance you get from the host. He can help you navigate around Rio as well use his resources to get you things (In my case, a ticket to the Sambadome). Sure this sounds like a concierge, but it feels more personal.

Find the full article at TripAdvisor .