Having spent a week online looking for places to stay in Ipanema during Carnival we were surprised to find Marcia's flat suddenly become available. Apparently a couple had to cancel last minute and we were lucky enough to snap it up straight away.
I can easily say Marcia's beautiful apartment was twice as big as anything else we looked at in the same area within our budget. Instead of having to sleep in the kitchen, as seemed standard for every other flat in the area, your bed is actually in its own separate room, WITH en suite.
The location was second to none being smack bang in the middle of Ipanema (just off the gay street Rua Farme de Amoeda, and only two blocks from the gay beach), and the building itself was extremely safe and clean.
It's an aparthotel, which means you get the best of both worlds. As you would expect from a hotel you get daily maid services and front desk security, but you also get all the amenities of an apartment - kitchen, TV (with Chromecast, so you can watch anything from your phone), fast WiFi, Nespresso machine, washing machine, safe, very comfy bed, AC, TWO bathrooms, and to top if all off a rooftop pool!
And Marcia herself is an absolute dream. So so friendly, she is at your beck and call for anything you could need, no problem is too small, and she always responds within minutes. She's made the flat feel as homely as possible (the Nespresso machine is a really nice touch) and she's even included a bookshelf full of guidebooks, leaflets and portuguese phrase books.
If there was anything I was to find fault with it would be the washing machine. It's not great. It gives your clothes a shuggle for about 20 minutes and then stops, so it freshens them up rather than cleans them. And the sun loungers on the rooftop pool wouldn't be the comfiest. They're made of wicker, so there's only so long you can lie on them before you'd rather actually lie on the ground. But these cons are minuscule compared to the pros.
If you're lucky enough to find Marcia's flat available, my advice to you: snap it up before someone else does!