Hotel Meson

The pousada meson is in an extremely good central location in Pelourinho with easy access to the beach and shops nearby which include a pharmacy and banks which accept international cards (Banco do Brasil) and many bars and restaurants. Pelo is the historic center of Salvador and therefore it is the heart of Salvador, with many tourist attractions nearby. There is a bus stop 5 mins walk away where you can get a bus which will take you wherever you need to go. It is also 5 min away from the Elevador La Cerda. The pousada itself is clean and modern with excellent facilities, rooms are spacious and well-ventilated with fan and large bay windows. The showers have hot water. Lucia is an extremely good hostess, always ready to help with whatever you need and she serves an amazing brazilian breakfast of fresh fruits, bread, cake, yoghurt and more. She also bakes home-made pastries for breakfast. I loved the Pousada and would always go back, it is excellent value for money and has everything you need for a pleasant stay to get to know the beautiful city of Salvador.

Stayed here in sept 2012 for a week. The owner was great, emailed replies very quickly to our reservation request and sent one of her staff to meet us in the square when we arrived at night time. She also took us and some other guests along with her to a street party the following afternoon and made sure we did not get lost on the crowds!! Thanks lucia!||Breakfast is great and lucia helped us out with booking tours and finding our way around making sure we did not pay over the odds! The pousada is very homely and clean, all the staff are lovely. Only downside for me was a lack of mosquito nets on the windows of the rooms. Not too many Mosquitos but i react badly to bites. ||The Pelourinho is noisy at night and the pousada is in the heart of the Pelourinho. We loved the life and energy and found the pousada was in a safe area with loads of restaurants around. ||Would definitely recommend and definitely return.

We stayed here 6 nights during carnaval and arrived a couple of days before carnaval started. We had a private room (double bed) with private bathroom. Prices during carnaval and world cup are different to normal, we paid $800 REAIS each for the 6 nights. Clean towels provided daily, so is soap and toilet paper. Shower is nice and hot, not the most powerful one. We had a tiny window in the bathroom with beautiful french windows. Some work needs to be done (e.g. electricity sockets are loose) but overall a great place to stay! Breakfast is included, you get an egg and a bun, coffee, there is some chocolate spread too and freshly made juices are on the table and vary every day. If you're lucky you get a pre baked banana cake as well. Internet only works in the common area. Lucia has been fantastic! She's been very helpful and friendly, we offered her some home made meals and she made us a couple of caipirinhas :) Don't be afraid to ask her things about town, she's happy to even walk with you to show you if she has spare time. Visitor information centre is right around the corner, post office is on the square next to it, the bank is on that strip too and the laundry is on your way to the bus station. Bear in mind that barely no locals speak English, even knowing Spanish I found it hard to get my point across.

Location is everything.||Yes, This pousada may be run down, the rooms maybe small, stairs are difficult to climb, the building look tired, it is noisy all around, but it is one of the best choice to stay in the Old City of Salvador.It is right on Rua Portas do Carmo, one of the busiest streets fill with vendors, restaurants and shops. It is noisy anytime of the day, but it is also the safest, with police patrols here 24 hours a day. One end of the street is the Cathedral Square, and within walking distance to Igreja de Sao Francisco, and it is simply the most glamorous church in South America. The other end of the street is largo Pelourinho, used to be the infamous Slave trading hub, and was also the MTV location of the Michael Jackson's video "They don't care about us". And the price? It is 45 US$ per night include breakfast, just a fraction of the asking price from similar hotels in the historical centre.||Lucia , the owner, is a superstar. She wear the most skimpish dress and she love parties. But don't let her appearance deceived you. She is a hard working , responsible, honest and very friendly hotelier, who has a personality to put people at ease in 10 seconds.||I really enjoy my time staying with her. If I visit Salvador, I shall stay there again.

We stayed 4 nights white visiting Salvador. The hotel was undergoing renovations and therefore not very welcoming. However the lady was very nice and helpful. The room was clean but looked a little old. Breakfast was good and complete. Overall not Much atmosphere but good for budget travellers.

We stayed here for Carnival 2010. The rates go up across Salvador but shop around. The location is good in the heart of the Pelo. But then there are 100`s of cheap places in the Pelo. What got us angry is Brazil is full of lovely people who can`t do enough for you. But then there is Lucia Blanch who owns this place. Sour faced. Unhelpful. Not interested in her guests. She provided no information and we actually got more from other more helpful pousada owners. They did clean the musty and old rooms but I still got bitten by giant ants. Breakfast was ok. But don`t bother with this place. Lucia does not care about her guests.

Pousada Meson is a nice, funny, simple and cheap place and very well located. Close to taxi's and buses and in the middle of Pelourinho. I've been staying here for years, and I feel very welcome and at home. Always interesting people around and very Brazilian. Nice, friendly and relaxed.

So, we are in looking for a place for carnival and we found this place. You have to sign up for 7 nights in Salvador during Carnival and the price is competive. But there are MANY options and you can leave it until you arrive in town (but a little risky). Booking in advance is no cheaper and this place is soulless, the owner is grumpy and the rooms are dirty. Breakfast was a diamond in the rough. ||||There are better places. Shop around!!