Rio B & B
 

We are a couple of seasoned travelers, looking at Rio for the first time. Not being a fan of big hotels, we were looking for a B & B or small hotel. Google points us to Santa Teresa. Any more ideas?

We stayed at one in Botafogo, it was about $100 US for a room with a bathroom and breakfast last year. It was about a 15 minute walk to the station and the local restaurant (down the bottom of a hill) was really great. The area was very untouristy. The B & B was called O Veleiro, the email details are in Lonely Planet, they don't give out the address.

Santa Teresa is an area I really like, you can get there from the historical centre by the bonde (a tram ride). There are some great bars and restaurants there. Most people stay near the beaches in Zona Sul but it depends what you are interested in: the museums etc are mostly in the historical centre.

You could also find a small private apartment to stay in. That's what we did. We paid about $55.USD a day when we were there. That gives you about $45.USD a day for other meals. We did want to be stuck paying for a simple breakfast in some hotel. When for less, you can eat at any sidewalk cafe and experience more of the city and the culture you are there to see in the first place.

I forgot to mention the guy we rented from. We got the website from a referral in the on-line travel section of the NY Times and were quite pleased with the apt. and service.
www.ez-riorentals.com

Thanks for the input - I have some time and will continue to explore the options.