I want to give a completely honest review, so I’ll start with the good.
This was a beautiful place, well located and within a 2-minute walk of General Osório — it had absolutely everything someone could need for a short- or long-term stay! The decor, etc. gave a very peaceful vibe.
Now the bad -
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to experience my stay to the fullest because of an unpleasant interaction and duplicity on behalf of management. From the start, we had mixed signals on visitor policies or adding a guest to the reservation (a two-bedroom place fitting up to four guests, and I had originally requested two, including myself, at the outset). When the doorman mentioned at check-in that no guests or visitors would be allowed under any circumstances, I was a bit concerned. The house rules originally stated “mediante nossa autorização,” that is - with authorization of management that this would be allowed. The house rules pamphlet (I have pictures) in the apartment said something similar, “let us know ahead of time.” My stay was over two weeks, and after two days I requested to add another guest to the stay who would be arriving several days after my request. This was denied as well as any possibility for a short-term visit (dinner, using the restroom, any of this). When I reviewed the house rules on the AirBnB website, I noticed that AFTER checking in, the language in the house rules had been cleaned up and “mediante nossa autorização” had been removed. This is the first time I’ve seen changes in house rules after a client has checked in, something I highly doubt is allowed. This was the most inflexible rule and communication I’ve seen in any AirBnB I’ve stayed at.
To top things off, on the second night we spent some time on the street, outside the locked gate, justifying our reservation to one of the doormen — who stood at a distance and asked us which room, other questions about the reservation, etc. He had clearly not reviewed the entry documents which included identification photos. In light of the fact that the policy requires photos and the building has such an apparently sensitive security, that we had to do this even after providing our photos was disappointing and made the stringent visitor requirement seem ridiculous.
I did not cancel and stayed the remainder of the trip - given the 50% refund policy and the high initial amount paid for the place, I came up with alternative arrangements for my other friend (in Niteroi, a neighboring city) to see me.
If you will be staying alone and not having any visitors - ever - by all means consider staying here. Under any other circumstance I cannot in good conscience recommend this location.