I visited Rio with my girlfriend for vacation. I’ve been to Brazil many times for work so I always stay at hotels. In Rio I’ve stayed at the two Sofitels and also once at Emiliano. All were amazing properties. But the experience my girlfriend and I had at Djamila’s apartment was an overall more special and amazing experience!
For what you don’t get staying at a Rio hotel - breakfast, a gym, a pool, and access to the beach, you get in return at Djamila’s - a beautiful, stylish space, tons of room (probably over 1800 square feet!) an awesome kitchen with lots of kitchen utensils, modern bathroom, and the best part of all, the most amazing views. I mean, the views from this apartment must hands down be one of the best in all of Rio. It is truly, truly special - and the pictures don’t do it justice!
The location is just awesome. True, you’re on a steep hill. Walking down is easy, walking up is a workout. But an Uber is never more than a 2-5 minute wait and just grabbing an Uber is so convenient.
Very close by is the stylish Leblon neighborhood. A couple really great grocery stores ensured that we had a stocked fridge. It was nice to have a couple home-cooked meals with the beautiful table settings for a change. You’ve got a cool cigar bar, Esch, and an awesome little bar/club called Garoa nearby, and lots of great other restaurants. The beach is a 10 minute walk down the hill and down a street. Easy.
Djamila was very responsive. We originally were only going to spend two nights here but we loved it so much we cancelled our Hilton reservation and stayed here all four nights.
The details of the apartment are also very nice. The LED lighting, the tasteful artwork, the high quality wooden furniture, the sheer number of huge windows. The breeze that flows through the space when you have multiple windows open. The irreplaceable feeling of awe when you first open the window and stand there looking out at the entire panorama of city, mountains, beach and ocean laid out perfectly in front of you. It is truly a special, special place.
The only issue was the key/elevator. It takes a little getting used to locking/unlocking it. Early in the trip we left the apartment unlocked because I couldn’t figure out the lock and the elevator door closed on us. But by the end of the trip I figured out the key.
I shouldn’t even be here writing all these gushing comments - I don’t want to secret to get out ;) We hope to return there again, soon!