My sister and I went to Rio for the first time, and we went without really planning an itinerary. Fabio really helped out by giving ideas and he provided a city guide book and map, that we used as a bible! and we totally forgot our adaptors and he provided them :-)
As two girls, we felt safe.
The place is as described and is a very short walk to the beach. Luckily, its near several money exchange centers (FYI: better rate than the airport!), grocery store, and restaurants (good for to-go and when you dont have time for sit down eating). Please note, that its perfect location if you dont plan to go to the city center everyday (uber costs adds up significantly).