Far better than expected!! Felipe was a great host. So helpful prior to arriving in Rio, sending infor on the area. All of the information he provided made finding the apartment when we arrived very easy. The apartment was so nice and very welcome after staying in hotels for 2 weeks. All of the travel guide info left in the apartment was unbelievable! Maps, guidebooks, etc. Felipe also checked in periodically to see if we had questions, concerns, or needed advice on things to do. We booked the apartment for proximity to the beach and that was just the start of it! 1 block from the beach was wonderful! But it's also 1/2 a block from the supermarket, excellent restaurants all around within walking distance, metro station is 2 blocks away, and the Hippie Fair on Sundays is 1 block away as well. We knew none of that when we booked it and left more than happy with our choice! The 24 hour doormen were very helpful and friendly. It was a nice quiet apartment, which may not be right for some but we loved it. Again, we can't say enough good things about Felipe and the apartment. There was a part of us that thought all of the reviews would be too good to be true but the apartment really is that great. If you want a great place, great location, and great host in Rio this is definitely the place!