First of all when we checked in the gentleman who worked downstairs did not check our passports or anything, they just assumed it was us and took our bags upstairs and they keys were at the table. They did not give us a tour of the penthouse, we had to figure things out on our own. The neighborhood is in Copacabana, which was right on the beach so I never felt at danger once. But the area is not like Ipanema which is much more of an affluent area. Also, the pictures look ultra modern and was expecting a new spot, it was far from that. The jacuzzi was empty when we got there and had no desire to fill it up because the rain water had the bottom of the jacuzzi dirty. If you are looking to stay here, make sure you bring your own supplies, there was no soap, no cleaning supplies, the only thing that was provided was towels with disgusting stains on them.

However, if you are a group of 4 young guys and dont want to spend too much you do get the most bang for your buck at this place. If you are a family, do not stay there because it is not very family friendly. Also, the bathrooms smelled very bad, one of the bathrooms smelled like sewage the entire stay. The views were beautiful and terrace is the highlight of the entire place, you have an amazing view of Copacabana beach and behind you a gorgeous view of the favelas.

Overall I will give this unit 3.5 stars out of 5. The cleaning lady came one in our 5 night stay, it should be every day because you have no cleaning supplies yourself to clean anything you are basically at the mercy of the cleaning lady. Finally, sleeping is rather difficult because the sheets smelled like they haven't been washed at all.

This is a classic case of beautiful pictures and something a little different when you arrive. However, it is cheaper than getting a hotel and each individual in our group had our own bed and bathroom. Once again I would suggest this apartment for a group of young guys or girls, like we were who dont mind a little smell and messiness for a great price. If you are a family or a group of couples with high standard this is not the place for you.

Finally, if space is your primarily goal for your trip to Rio this is a great place, I went to a couple of friends apartments in Rio and you will rarely find a place with the size of the penthouse we stayed at.

Remember to bring your own shampoo, soap, etc.