A cozy Pousada in the center of Salvador, very close to the Pelourino. We were on the first floor in a room with view on the sea. The rooms are clean and nice with Air Condition. The Breakfast is very good and you can have it on a wonderful terrace on the sea. In the evening there are near a couple of good places to eat, altough it is better not to go too far as this part of the city is a bit dangerous in the night. The owner is a philosof, so if you like you can talk to him about the sense of life ;)

Located in historical side of town, so good for sight seeing. This isn't a hotel with too many luxuries. It is just a cosy bed and breakfast. The rooms are spacious and very well maintained! They have around 2 laptops which you can use if you want to check email etc (free of cost). Loved the breakfast floor which had good views. They have about 4 - 5 fresh items for breakfast, not too lavish but fine by us. I met only two of the staff at front desk - a lady during the day shift and a gentleman in the evening shift. Both were very very friendly and helpful. Would have been nice if they atleast served dinner - because the area didn't seem very tourist friendly. We were a bit nervous to step out at night. I'm sure it is safe - the hotel staff convinced us that as long as we don't carry valuables (huge cameras etc.) we'll be fine. I guess if you want to stay in a touristy location you have to pick one of the beach side hotels, where you can go for walks by yourself without getting strange looks from people. To summarize - the hotel itself was good. The area was just ok.

This charming pousada in a quiet street has clever designed rooms. Most rooms have lovely balconies with a great bayview. The staff is very kind and helpful, most speak English. And they offer all day long excellent coffee in their beautiful, spacious lobby. Wifi works fine and is free.
The good (basic) breakfast is served at the rooftop with an even better bay- and cityview. The sound inside the very slow elevator reminded us (with a smile) of the Doctor Who police box.
It is not easy to find a good and strategic located pousada in the Pelourinho, the most interesting part of Salvador. Pousada do Pilar, where we stayed for five days, is probably your best option in the midrange category. The location is not ideal, because the main square in Pelourinho is a 10 min. walk, and the going is steep down hill and up again to visit the centre of Pelourinho. If that´s a problem, you can take a taxi. You have to use them often if you want to explore 'down town' Salvador (Bonfim church, beaches, museums). Remember always to look at the taximeter that should show a display with a 1 during daytime (06.00 - 21.00). Otherwise you pay the more 'expensive' nightrate (2). Safety in suspicious neighborhoods is another reason to take a taxi.

Speaking as an experienced world traveler and a repeat visitor to Brazil, I found the Pousada do Pilar to be one of the worst stays I've had anywhere on the planet. Not because of the accommodations, which were better than average, or because of the location, which was okay though not spectacular. I'm white and my girlfriend is black. I speak fluent Portuguese, but it was her first trip to Brazil so she was at the entry level with the language. We're from the U.S. and are not strangers to funny looks and worse from intolerant strangers. I'm also fairly aware of the forms racism takes in Brazil, and that the image of a black woman (who happens to look like a Bahiana) and a white man creates certain assumptions in some Brazilians' minds. But we weren't prepared for what happened at this pousada.

Arriving at the pousada door after a Saturday night out, we were let in by the portero on night duty. I told him in a clear voice what room we were staying in, so that he could give us the room key. He immediately informed me in a very stiff manner that "irregular persons are not allowed in the pousada" (a literal translation of what he said). I suspected racism right away, and asked him what he was talking about. He repeated himself and said I'd have to pay extra to bring a 'guest' in. Which told me two things: 1) he assumed my girlfriend was a prostitute, and 2) they seem to allow this kind of thing at the pousada. I told him he was being very offensive and racist, and that this was my wife (in Brazil there are two definitions of 'wife/husband', one of which is a kind of common-law version when two people live together). I think my vehemence in confronting him caused him to rethink, because he then shuffled some papers on the desk and said he'd confused me with another single guest who was staying at the pousada. This in spite of the fact that I'd clearly stated upon entry what room we were in. I again told him he was racist and that I'd be speaking with the manager. He denied the racism, claiming it was a case of mistaken identity. We got the same song and dance from the manager the next day, and NO APOLOGY FROM THE POUSADA OF ANY KIND, which didn't surprise me much since the manager and the doorman had clearly gotten their stories coordinated. Though not surprised, this denial only added insult to our injury.

I would say these people need to learn how to run a business at the very least. Amateur and parochial. Minus five stars.