Valerie and Alex are extremely friendly hosts and it was more than a pleasure to get to know them and spend some time in their apartment. They were incredibly helpful with anything we needed, starting with a personal welcome providing milk and hot chocolate for our daughters when we arrived late at night and ending with the two of them helping us find a taxi and carry our luggage and the kids through the pouring rain when we moved on to our next destination. We accidentally took one their keys with us and again they were very easy and flexible to find a way to return them. The apartment itself is even more beautiful than then fotos can show and above that impeccably clean. It was easily spacious enough for the four of us but would also host 4 adults. The location is perfect, more affordable than Ipanema itself but close enough to walk over to the great beaches and restaurants in Ipanema if you are fed up with Copacabana. Overall we can highly recommend this beautiful apartment and these wonderful hosts to anybody coming to Rio.