Stayed here for five nights for Christmas last year, from 23rd to 27th December, with my husband so this a very belated review!
We had booked Villa Bambuti solely on the basis of the reviews on this website and we were not disappointed. It is exactly as it looks in the photos and the hospitality offered by the hosts goes beyond anything I have ever experienced before.
Debbie organised a driver for us from Rio to Buzios and we arrived hot and sticky in the afternoon where we were greeted with a cocktail and nibbles on the terrace and asked to join Debbie and Luiz, two of their friends staying with them for Christmas and another couple who had also just checked in. We were made feel very welcome and this continued throughout the stay-we really did feel like we were staying in their home, rather than a hotel or guesthouse. And this was bearing in mind that it was Christmas time and Debbie and Luiz had their own guests and family staying with them too.
The pool area is fantastic and the views sublime. We had a downstairs room which was small but adequate and nicely decorated. We had a terrace, again with wonderful views. While this is quite a social place to stay, and you will probably spend a lot of your time sitting around the pool chatting to Debbie and Luiz, their friends and other guests, the downstairs rooms are very private and you can be on your own as well if you prefer.
Debbie and her friends were great for tips on beaches, hiring buggies, taxis and places to eat and drink. We were given a map and talked through it by Debbie's niece Angie, who deserves a special mention-she was so helpful and friendly throughout our stay.
Breakfast as most other reviewers have said is served on the terrace and is fresh and plentiful. We had juice, fruit, granola, yoghurt, ham, cheese and a selection of bread and cake every morning, and a different hot dish each day. There was in fact far to much food for us! It set us up well each day though for the beach.
Getting into town is easy-we hired a buggy which we used during the day and got taxis at night which are cheap and arrive within minutes of ordering.
We had only two negatives. The first was a small point really, but the water in the shower was cold or very luke warm on most evenings when we were getting ready to go out. We never bothered saying anything so perhaps this could have been fixed if we had, but I know other guests had the same experience. The other negative related to the transport back to Rio and was not Debbie and Luiz' fault but just mentioning it as a word of warning. Their usual driver was not available so a taxi was arranged for us instead. The journey was fine but not far outside of Rio the driver stopped for petrol a second time, having stopped just outside Buzios. We went into the garage shop to get a drink, leaving all of our bags and luggage in the car. We came out of the shop to see the driver taking off at speed out of the garage with the sliding passenger door we had not closed properly still open!!! Luckily my husband had his mobile phone on him and had the number for Villa Bambuti so we phoned Debbie and she said she would get on to the company who organised the driver. Within minutes she phoned back to say they had gotten in touch with the driver and he has not realised we were not in the back seat and was on his way back. He did arrive back offering a lame apology and charged us the full whack when we got to Rio, not seeming to appreciate the fright he had given us. Whether it was a genuine mistake or an opportunistic robbery attempt we will never know but be careful in similar circumstances!!
All in all Villa Bambuti was a very special and relaxed place to stay, especially for Christmas when we were away from home. I would highly recommend it and it is exceptional value for money.
