With rapper Marcelo D2 and celebrity chef Claude Troisgros' CT Boucherie restaurant as neighbours, you can be assured that Leblon Spot is no ordinary hostel. Indeed, as you head down the alleyway off the gastronomic strip of Rua Dias Fereira you could be forgiven from thinking you are headed to something approaching luxury, such are the sleek white walls, palm trees and designer furniture luring you inside.

The reception area is also decidedly un-hostel like, but once upstairs things become rather more familiar, with college-style corridors, large communal bathrooms and functional rather than fancy bunk beds. What Leblon Spot lacks in creature comforts, though, it more than makes up for in location. Four blocks from Leblon Beach and right in the midst of some of the best restauarants in town, what you save on your digs you can splurge on your dinner. Private rooms are also available, providing an excellent alternative to the over-priced hotels in the vicinity if you just have to keep it Leblon.