Alexandre's place is perfect for a beach vacation in Rio. The apartment is less than a five minute walk to one of the cleanest and most beautiful parts of Ipanema beach. The apartment is on the penthouse level (floor 9) but you must walk from 8 to 9 which has a few tricky steps if you are traveling with luggage. There is a security guard there nearly 24/7 who opens the front door for you upon inspection and if he is not there, you have a key.
The apartment looks exactly as in the photos and has two very spacious bedrooms. They are on opposite sides of the apartment and each have large bathrooms. There is a small half bathroom in between them.
The kitchen can easily fit eight people and has a beautiful view of the city. The pool in the patio area is not grand but perfect for relaxing at night.
There is a washer attached to the kitchen but unfortunately each time we ran it, even on the shortest cycle, the water leaked into the kitchen. There is a squeegee for the floor which you may need! Overall I think this a common problem with Brazil plumbing so really not a big deal at all.
Alexandre is very communicative and anytime we had questions he responded within a few hours (even though he was in Asia at the time of our stay). I would definitely recommend this apartment!