pousada is defined as a building of up to 30 houses and 90 beds, offering reception services, food and shelter - they tend to be a little smaller than a hostel, although there is certainly a degree of overlap in classification.

in rio, the majority of these enterprises tend to be found in some of the fashionable neighborhoods of the city, such as jardim botanico, santa teresa, and ipanema - hostels emerged in europe in the early 20th century and only expanded to south america later in the century when the idea of backpack travelling took root and flourished internationally.